The Razing
by The Lord Of The Words
Summary: The Titans have encountered a new foe, mighty and quite evil. But this new villain seems too much for them to handle. How do they beat him? What is he? Is he human, or something else entirely? A wicked game, endless terror, what is the meaning of it all?
1. Introductions

The Razing

**Chapter One:** Introductions

Light flooded across the sky; as yet another glorious sunrise soared over the heads of the citizens of the City. A magnificent bustling burg, technologically advanced, filled to the brim with numerous interesting and colorful characters. Life goes on as it does everyday, people going to work, buildings being built, and so on and so on. But like everything good, there is always something sinister hiding behind the outer shell of what appears to be a peaceful place, concealing trouble.

Like any large city, there is much crime as well, something that everyone should really expect. However, this is something more sinister than a normal pickpocket or even a bank-robber. This city, while a wondrous place, is also plagued with the fate of being invaded by hordes of super villains, beings with great power, with aspects ranging from merely stealing what their hearts desire, to the utter destruction of the City itself. These criminals wreck havoc wherever they go, doing as they please, in order to fulfill their own selfish desires.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. "If there so many of these evildoers running lose through the city, why, oh why, is it such a desirable place to live?" Aha, now we come to the crux of the matter. While at any given time, there are quite a few "bad guys" running through the streets, many have learned to keep a low profile at times.

Why? Because there are protectors of the city, knights of justice one might say, to uphold the law and keep this city safe and secure for the common folks. What sort of heroes are they? They are the superhero group, know and feared as the Teen Titans!

A small number of talented teenagers who had banned together and have devoted themselves to keep a watchful eye on the city, ready to fight against the criminal underworld, thwarting their dastardly plots. The five youngsters have made a renowned reputation as being great heroes, their names striking fear into the black hearts of the scheming desperados that populate the city.

Five teenagers, facing incredible odds. But it is no surprise that these youths are not ordinary superheroes. They each have their own special strengths and personalities, combined together to create the perfect mix of adolescent insanity.

First is the organizer of the Teen Titans, as well as the leader, Robin. This young fellow is perhaps the most normal of all the Titans, not actually having any manner of superpowers. But powers are really only secondary to those that have the heart and mind to be a real hero. Using his quick reflexes and speed, Robin is an exceptionally good martial artist, knowing and using Kung Fu to batter his enemies into submission. Using an array of little but highly destructive devices on his utility belt is also one of his trademarks. Armed with anything from Birdarangs, retractable bow staff, and bombs, he using his cunning and wit to coordinate his team to victory in battle.

Next comes the robotic Cyborg, who is indeed just as his name states, a young man who was rebuilt as a cybernetic organism, mechanical parts over the human frame. Using a very advanced technology he has gained incredible strength, able to bench press something as huge as a building, and outfitting himself with a whole arsenal of weapons such as his patented Sonic Cannon, that his arms can transform into. A talented technician, his favorite hobby is to use the same technology that he is built out of, and put it into his T-Car as well as his T-Ship.

Then there is Starfire, the young alien girl from the planet Tamaran. She is perhaps the most cheerful and quirky of the group, always speaking of the customs of her home world, and trying to adapt to life on Earth. Not only sporting the ability to fly, she possesses super strength, able to rip up heavy sheets of metal like paper. While in air, she launches her green energy attacks named Starbolts, which she rains down on enemies at a fantastic rate. In addition to these, beams of light shoot from her eyes, throwing her adversary back with terrific force. A very caring girl, she loves her friends very much, trying to understand their often times bizarre behavior.

And then who could forget the funny one, named Beast Boy. A small wiry youngster with green skin, who has an ability that matches his name. Thanks to the unstable genetic makeup of his body, he can instantaneously morph into any known animal. If villains attack from the sky, he transforms into an eagle or a pterodactyl to give chase. On ground he becomes a great beast, usually a gorilla, rhinoceros, or something as terrifying as a tyrannosaurus rex, dwarfing the competition. A born jokester, his favorite pass time is to play ridiculous pranks on his friends. He can never pass up an opportunity to crack a joke, even in the middle of heated combat. His humor is a good release for the rest of the team, even when he seems utterly annoying.

And finally comes the ever dark Raven. She comes from a place called Azarath, a world when she spent her childhood in meditation, learning to control her unpredictable power. She is very unemotional, knowing that if she let her feelings out, they could cause her to lose control of her powers in erratic ways. Using a form of magic, she can shape pure black energy to her command, as well as use the power of telekinesis to hurl objects and telepathy. Very dark and mysterious, she likes to keep to herself, ensuring that nobody enters her room, her private haven. She is exceptionally intelligent, and tries her best to tolerate the wacky antics of her friends… especially Beast Boy.

And so, these are the Teen Titans, watching over the City from their headquarters, a place not easily missed. In the bay of the City on a small rocky crag, there sits a unique building, designed in the shape of a T, aptly named Titan's Tower. This command center who all five Titans engineered, especially Cyborg, is filled with high-tech equipment such as state of the art surveillance hardware, and a full-proof security system. Whenever a serious offence is in progress, a signal will be transmitted to the Tower, and thus the Titan's will move out, determined to put the guilty party behind bars.

Sure, they are hard pressed by multiple villains, such as the diabolical Slade, a criminal genius, but in the end, the Titan's find some way or another to overcome their foes. In most cases, it is their very close friendship that allows them to pull together and to fight as one, being an unstoppable force. Never have the Titan's met defeat by the hands of any villain.

Unfortunately, this was a record that _was_ destined to be broken in one way or another that would count as a "defeat". Perhaps if their enemies had successfully managed to launch a devastating attack against the Titan's or escaped from capture. But to be defeated in battle, being overwhelmed by a truly powerful foe? That seemed utterly impossible. And yet…it wasn't.

The day began as it should, the sun rising over the City, casting its warming glow over all. The morning traffic began, people crowding the streets eager to begin the day. And of course, over the water at Titan's Tower, things were just as they should be as well. Inside the living room, Cyborg was sitting on the sofa, his regular and bionic eye both fixated on the massive monitor, as his metal fingers worked frantically at the controller in his hands. His miniature red racer on the screen was slowly falling behind the blue one of the computer. And as gap between them widened, the shade of red on his face grew darker and darker.

Starfire sat beside him, also watching. Her emerald eyes would go back and forth from the little cars on the screen, to the intensifying color on Cyborg's face. She was wondering whatever could be upsetting him so? Sitting on another couch in the room, or rather, levitating above it, was Raven, sitting cross-legged, trying to concentrate on her book, attempting to block out the loud obnoxious sounds from the video game.

Beast Boy was in the adjacent kitchen, staring into the fridge, contemplating what he should have for lunch. His choices had narrowed down to cold leftover pizza or a cold leftover cheese sandwich. And finally, Robin had just entered the room, towel draped over his shoulders after finishing a rousing morning training exercise.

"Dah!" yelled Cyborg, pointing an accusing finger at the screen. "This stupid video game is cheating! There is no way that the computer can ever beat me!" Starfire still was very puzzled.

"Please," she asked Cyborg, uncaring or just unaware that he was seconds away from blowing a power regulator circuit, "Explain again why the little cars are trying beat each other?" Her eyes grew large and little sparkles seemed to burst forth from her as she clasped both hands tighter. "Shouldn't they try and tie the race and then they can celebrate by both being the victor?" Cyborg was meanwhile studying the box that the game cartage came in, trying to see if it warned on the box that the computer cheats.

"Don't call the game stupid," said Raven, not raising her eyes from the book. Her voice was not without its usual sarcasm. "You'll hurt its feelings."

"Aha, I got it," cried Cyborg, raising one finger in the air, then aiming it to the television screen. "The games gotta be defective! That's the only explanation! I don't lose unless the game cheats!"

Beast Boy was trying to stuff both the pizza and cheese sandwich into his mouth, but still managed to get out, "Dude, are you sure it's the game that's defective, and not your hands?" As he was busy trying to swallow the lump of stale food, Beast Boy was suddenly aware that someone was standing right behind him.

Turning, Cyborg was standing there; his whole metal body seemed to be giving off an extreme heat. Furthermore his regular eye was twitching in involuntary spasms. Sensing that he was probably going to get hurt, Beast Boy quickly changed into a mouse and tried to skitter off. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite fast enough as the steel fingers closed around his tail and hauled him over to the couch.

"All right, little man," Cyborg said, a gleam in his eye, thrusting a control in front of the green mouse. "Let's see if _you_ can beat me!" Changing back into his human form, now Beast Boy was now glaring back up into Cyborg's face.

"Who you callin' "little"?" In a flash, Beast Boy had changed into a ram, blowing columns of steam from his nostrils, and both the olive colored goat and Cyborg looked ready to butt horns. Robin who had been getting a drink had by this time casually strolled over and got between the two.

"Hey cool it," he said, trying to wedge himself in between the two. His efforts were in vain, as the two crushed him nearly flat and he wafted to the floor looking like a paper doll cut out. Re-inflating himself, he then tried to use his staff to pry them apart but the reinforced bow cracked under the extreme pressure and he went sprawling. Fortunately he landed right on top of the remote and hit the power button, causing the television to shut off. At once, both Beast Boy and Cyborg separated and turned to look at Robin, who was picking himself up off the ground.

"Come on you guys," he said, straightening his cape. "You know nothings malfunctioning, and besides, you've been sitting in front of the TV all day. Why not get up and do something else?" He cast an arm towards a nearby window, "There's a ton of stuff to do today. Just look at the sky!"

True enough, there was hardly a cloud up there. The view from the high window was really quite spectacular, overlooking the bay with the skyline of the City just beyond. In fact, from that position of Titan's Tower, there was a clear an unobstructed view from the Tower to the City. Robin was still in the middle of lecturing both Cyborg and Beast Boy about how playing video games and watching too much TV was going to dull their senses, when something _new_ developed.

At the precise moment that Robin threw up his arms proclaiming, "You need to grab life by the horns!" but before Beast Boy could turn into some creature with enormous horns, like a moose, from outside came an explosion that seemed to rock the Tower. Everyone was visibly shaken, but seemed unharmed. Cyborg ran over to the nearest terminal and began bringing up a schematic design of the Tower. "Man," cried Beast Boy frantically looking around, "What was that? It felt like an earthquake!"

"It didn't come from here," reported Cyborg who had finished his diagnostic, "All systems check one-hundred percent. It wasn't inside the Tower." While all the others were gathered around Cyborg, there came a frantic cry of "Look!" It was Starfire who was pointing towards the City through the massive window. And indeed for good reason. There was a mammoth cloud of blackened smoke rising from the center of the city, as well as the signs of fire.

All the others ran over and stared out in horror at the City. It was then that the built in alarm system went off; bringing in a full report of the incident to the Tower's central computer. Running over and quickly scanning the files, Robin rounded up his team. "Okay," he told them, "There is a fire in Central, and the signs point to a bomb of some sort. We need to get over there now!" No sooner had he finished speaking when yet another titanic blast erupted from the city, generating yet another cloud of dark smoke. "Titan's go!"

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The day was beautiful, a few clouds, bright sunlight, as well as a cool breeze. The Central area of the City was quite a bustling little district, always in motion with relatively a lot of activity. For one thing, there was dozens, perhaps even hundreds of store fronts to stop in front of and peer into, scanning the displayed merchandise. In addition to those, there were so many restaurants to choose from, ranging anywhere between fast food pizza places to gourmet Italian lining the streets.

Also, this portion of the city had a very impressive park, with a sparkling lake, in which people could rent rowboats or canoes. More often than not, a person could find one event or another stationed on the large patches of open grass. At the entrance to the park was the famous Gateway, a plaza covered over by trees, and housing a magnificent water fountain. Creating the perimeter of Central was the towering skyscrapers, creating a glass and steel barrier, blocking out the rest of the city.

In short, it was a relaxing place, usually where people go to have fun or take a lunch break. Who wouldn't want to catch up on a bit of shopping or grab a delicious bite to eat?

It was roughly one o'clock in the afternoon when this peaceful sanctuary suffered a grievous assault. Everything was how it was everyday. People carrying shopping bags, perusing the stores, couples eating under an umbrella near the street, and a rousing game of football being played by local kids in the park.

There was no warning. No siren. No nothing.

Only a few people actually saw what happened, but they themselves wouldn't ever be able to truly explain it. It was right by the Gateway, where five people were. A young woman wearing a nurse uniform, who was catching up with her reading, sitting on a bench. A young man and his golden retriever, who he was tossing a ball to. An elderly fellow who was coming back from the park after an afternoon stroll. And finally, two little kids, perhaps around nine or ten, both crouching down, trying to untangle a kite string, anxious to take advantage of a surprisingly windy day. These five were near the Gateway, and they saw what happened. But, there were actually _six_ people there.

It's just…no one really took any notice of the sixth person. Standing under an ancient oak tree, leaning against the massive trunk, arms crossed, stood a shadowy figure. If one happened to stop and stared, you would have seen a young man, wearing a somewhat inappropriate outfit considering the warm weather. Not really the strangest thing in the world, which was perhaps why he hadn't been noticed thus far. He didn't move, didn't speak, but just stared out at the world. Only when he raised his right arm, only then did someone notice.

But by that time, it was already way too late. His arm was stretched out, with his large palm open, the whole hand facing the marble fountain. He stood like this for ten seconds or so, and that's when that beautiful fountain vanished from the park. A spark of light erupted from his hand, nearly too fast for human eyes to keep track of, and detonated where the fountain stood.

The explosion that followed was a blast of hot air, surrounding the pillar of fire that grew upwards consuming everything that was flammable. The force of the blast, as well as the sound wave of the explosion sent the five other people reeling. Not entirely sure what had happened, they all ran for the closest exit of the park, screaming in terror. It was a terrible disaster, the fresh green grass, and the lovely trees were exposed to the flame, and began to burn, very slowly, as if the attack was designed to prolong their suffering. And standing beneath the now incinerating oak tree, stood that figure.

His face earlier had been expressionless, devoid of any sort of emotion. But now, oh yes, now, a smile was evident. Not a bright and sunny grin, but a small smile, a very sinister look. The light of the fire reflected off the black sunglasses that he was wearing; making it look like his eyes housed the flames of the Underworld itself. He gazed up, studying the melting leaves and slowly blackening branches. Not really wanting to catch fire himself, he started to walk, a slow and very casual gait. He exited the park, and from behind the shades, took note of the masses of common people that were now pointing and staring at the destroyed park.

Some were also pointing at him, observing this strange young man with a mixture of fear and bewilderment, something that he noticed with wry amusement. To further feed their fear, he flexed the fingers on his left hand, bones snapping beneath the skin. When he lifted his hand, and clenched it into a fist, crackling blue electricity seemed to generate from his body.

The sinister smile on his face widened substantially as he thrust his arm out with incredible speed, launching a streaking bolt of lightning into the nearest store. It happened to be a music shop, and the devastation it wrought in the wake of the electrical attack was staggering. Instruments were indescribably melted into lumps of brass, glass shattered, wood incinerated, and even the brick and steel frame of the building itself buckled under the extreme stress.

Another side effect of the bolt of lightning was an earsplitting rumble of thunder, sounding magnified through a microphone. Nearly every person in the plaza saw the second attack, and probably all of them shrieked in terror, even though their cries were drowned out by the thunder. As is human nature, the citizens in Central began to stampede away from the area, knowing full well that a super-villain was causing havoc again. Furthermore, they knew that when the Teen Titan's arrived, a major battle would probably ensure. And most knowing from past experience, those encounters were often quite destructive.

And as they ran, screaming and hollering, there stood that ominous being…still smiling. But he knew very well that he wasn't anywhere near finished. He began to stroll along again, as people ran around him, desperate to get away from whatever was going on. Not even stopping, two shimmering balls of energy materialized into his hands, and he threw them both into the upper floors of a close by skyscraper, most likely an office building. They blew out the windows, most certainly breaking whatever was inside, vaporizing everything on the spot. But even that wasn't the end of it.

He raised one foot, and stomped it back down onto the pavement. Suddenly, without any warning, the ground began to tremble violently, the streets and sidewalks cracked and split, several buildings starting to collapse.

And as a final act of destruction, he clapped his hands together but once. As he split them apart, radiating from the tips of his fingers were ten tiny blood red spheres, each glowing. Without a sound, they zipped from his fingertips, and began to streak around Central. Finally, after circling around like buzzards, they converged onto a nearby outdoor restaurant, now long since deserted. The scarlet orbs vanished in a flash of red color, annihilating everything. As the light faded, only a smoking crater was left behind.

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Arriving at the scene, landing atop a nearby building, the five Titan's gaped at the disaster that had struck the City. The park was in flames, the once enchanting trees that had once been; all that remained now were lifeless charred stumps, not even a shadow of their former selves. Innumerable buildings had suffered from extensive damage, many crumbling to the ground. Debris was scattered about the whole place, and dark smoke was everywhere, blocking out the rays of the sun. It was a horrible scene, and everyone of the Titan's felt a great pang of sorrow at the senseless destruction.

"Who could do such a horrible thing," questioned Starfire, turning to her friends, her eyes moving one from the other, almost demanding an answer. It was an answer none of them had. Robin walked to the edge of the building, and swept his eyes around.

"I don't care who's responsible," he said with a firm voice, with a trace of anger mixed in. "We need to find the culprits before anymore harm is done. Spread out and find them!" In an almost a responsive manner, there was a bright burst of red light on the other side of the park, followed by yet another blast of stinging air.

"Over there," Robin pointed, and jumped down from the roof. He immediately began running and bounding over the wreckage, making a beeline for the source of the light. Beast Boy transformed into a hawk and followed, while Starfire grabbed up Cyborg and flew after him, Raven right beside her.

It didn't take more than thirty seconds for them to get across the way, and they finally caught site of the destroyer. He was standing in the deserted square, so it wasn't too tough to single him out. His back was to them, but it was clear he was still in the midst of his chaos. On his right hand, which was pointing to another building face, all his fingers were curled up except his index and middle finger. A solitary sphere of bright white energy was crackling on the tip.

Robin was the first to arrive and got a look at the attacker. Knowing that he was going to launch yet another assault, Robin quickly reached into his belt, and brought out his a handful of explosive disks. In one throw, all four of them went whizzing through the air, hitting their mark, blowing up on the strange figure. The resulting smoke blocked everyone's vision as all the Titan's landed, waiting to see what happened.

The grey smoke slowly wafted up and away, to reveal the figure standing as he had before, apparently not moving. However, the energy on his fingers began to shrink away and then utterly disappeared. Almost leisurely, in a laid-back sort of way, raising one foot and pivoting the other on his heel, the figure turned around. It was then that all five Titan's got their first look at this mysterious assailant.

He wasn't _really_ tall, perhaps five inches or so more than Robin, but his frame was indeed thicker. His hair was shiny silver, cut short, with little spikes and spines poking towards the sky. It was difficult to determine his age, but he was young, maybe a year or two older than any of the other Titans. He wore a black shirt and pants, like jeans, but black as well. On his feet was a pair of fine black boots, the kind that are very expensive. That was where the most normal characteristics about this guy ended.

Perhaps the most interesting piece of his outfit was a thick black leather trench coat, looking extremely heavy and hot. It was because of this trench coat that it was difficult to determine his body size. He didn't seem to have a definite shape. To put it simply, his body seemed to fluctuate, going from thin, to stout, to muscular in an instant. A fine illusion indeed. On each of his fingers, excluding his thumbs, was a silver ring, being nothing more than a simple band. He was also wearing gloves, black of course, with the rings on the outside.

Around his neck was a necklace, silver as well, in the shape of a sword, being hung by its hilt. And lastly, covering his eyes was a pair of black shades, the lenses reflecting images like mirrors, making it impossible to see his real eyes. He was staring back at Titan's, a good thirty yards separating them, his head cocking from one side, and then, to the other. The Titan's stared right back, studying this strange person, totally dressed in black. This staring contest lasted for some time.

Then, at long last, the young man moved. The Titan's jumped at the sudden motion, ready for some form of counterattack. However, the guy had merely raised a hand to his sunglasses, and coolly removed them. It was then, that the two parties finally got to look at each other, eye to eye. His eyes were extremely bizarre.

He had the usual white cornea, and the black pupil in the center, but the iris was a crimson red, an unsettling color. And while his eyes were sort of scary to behold, the look he was giving them was not, being very penetrating but not really threatening. He looked at one from the other, studying them, while he twirled the glasses through his fingers, the multiple rings clinking. It was strange to watch him move. His movements seemed very unhurried, calm, as he was very slowly shifting around.

Finally, he cleared his throat, and spoke. His voice had a rich strong tone, with an echoing and enchanting quality to it, as he seemed to carefully choose his words.

"My my," he said in a thoughtful tone. "Children playing here?" He shrugged his shoulders, and pointed at the Titan's. "This place is a bit too dangerous for little kids. Why not run along home. It is much safer there." With that, he began to turn away. Not liking to be treated like or being called a child, Robin stepped forward, and leveled his own finger at the felon.

"We are not going anywhere," said he, and despite the situation, his own voice sounding very commanding. "You are the one responsible for this devastation! You're the reason it's not safe here!" The figure stopped, and reestablished his gaze with the kids. He gave them a sinister grin, and all five of the Titan's noticed, that the pearly white teeth in his mouth, were pointed, like razor sharp fangs.

"A moot point, my young friend. Regardless, I am quite busy and I haven't the time nor the patience to baby-sit small ones like yourselves. If you want to play superheroes and save the day or some such rubbish, then do so on you own time…I have work that I need to be getting back to, so if you don't mind…"

"I don't think so," yelled Robin, "We won't let you mindlessly destroy this city! We are here to stop you!" Robin would have kept going, but a low and calm laugh cut him off. The young man in black was chuckling to himself. In one fluid motion, he folded up his shades, and slipped them into a pocket on the inside of his coat, then stuffed his thumbs into the pockets of his black jeans.

"I see." He looked past Robin, eyeing the others behind him. "Tell me," he inquired with a smile, "Do the rest of you talk, or do you let Sparky here do all the chattering? And if you do speak, then I take it you don't approve of what I am doing either?"

The Titan's glanced at one another. Cyborg stepped up, and pointed his Sonic Cannon at the criminal. "Look man, I don't know what your beef with this city is, but it isn't worth you getting you butt kicked by us!" Beast Boy was right next to him, and he chimed in too.

"Yeah, and why don't you go and return Arnold Schwarzenegger's look while you're at it." Starfire and Raven were hovering above, and they decided to speak as well.

"You have caused great harm to this place," cried Starfire, pointing to the now charred park that she had enjoyed so much. "There is no reason to do such a thing!"

"She's right," said Raven, looking down at the strange young man in black, "Besides, I get the feeling that you enjoy ruining things way to much." Any further comments were once more cut off by his ominous laughter.

"Bah," said he, waving a dismissing hand, "You mewling are as pathetic as Sparky's. And besides, what could you five possibly hope to do against me? What are you, the Five Wonder-Kids or something equally idiotic?" Robin stood at the head and replied with,

"We're the Teen Titan's and we're going to bring you down, no matter what!" This time, it wasn't just a quiet laugh that the stranger put forth, now he opened the flood gates, and began to roar with the hilarity, a deep-throated sound, the echo bounding off the buildings.

"That's funny," said he, after the laughter had subsided. "But I was being serious. And since you don't know me, I'm willing to let it slide, but just for your future reference," his smile left as quickly as it came, and he cast a dark glare at Robin. "I don't appreciate it when people lie right to my face. I find that _extremely_ rude and disrespectful. So now, I ask you, and this time, I really _do_ mean it, just who do you five think you are? And if it's not too much trouble, perhaps we can have the truth this time, hmm?"

Robin was really unsure how to respond, not really thinking about what would happen if this guy didn't believe what he told him. However, before he could come up with something, Beast Boy once more jumped in.

"But dude," he said, "That was the truth! We're the Teen…" He couldn't go any farther before he was cut off by a loud, "ENOUGH!" The glowing crimson eyes were now displaying a vicious quality that had been absent when the glasses were first removed.

"Do you take me for a fool? Am I _really_ to believe that there is a small crime fighting society in this city comprised totally of teenagers? What utter nonsense! Fine." He closed his eyes, and lowered his head. "If you've decide to try and keep who you are from me, then I will find out what I want to know by…another method!"

These threatening words caused the Titan's to once more brace them from an imminent charge. But it once more didn't come. Instead, that young man raised his head again, and opened his eyes. To their surprise, the red eyes were now replaced with bright white light that was coming from his eye sockets. Several seconds passed and they wondered what he was doing, when a cry of pain caused them to look away.

It was Raven. She had fallen to the ground, and was holding her head, gritting her teeth. Robin ran over, in a state of concern. "What is it Raven?" She could only answer with another cry, and managed to say, "It's…" And that was all.

No sooner than it had come, the light left his eyes, fading away, and they returned to normal. In addition, the searing pain in her head suddenly vanished, and Raven began to shake off the effects of whatever that was. And once more, this mysterious person was laughing quietly to himself. Robin, knowing that those glowing eyes as well as Raven's reaction were linked, demanded, "What's so funny? What did you do to her?" The young man lifted his head up once again and then shook it.

"Well, since you want to know, this is the first time I've ever had to apologize. I can see now that I am quite the fool. Ha." Not sure what he meant, Robin turned back to Raven, who was recovering from whatever it was, Starfire holding her up. Seeing his confusion, the stranger continued. "I now know that you were all indeed telling me the truth. My, how red my face must be." He gave his head a shake, and pointed at the five of them.

"You _are_ the Teen Titan's I see. Most intriguing. And yet…sad. To think, the defense of this city lies in the hands of teenagers? A wonder it hasn't been blow to smithereens yet. Now…" he paused, looking from one to the others, "wait a moment, I want to see if I can identify you all correctly?" He began rubbing his chin in a both thoughtful and playful sort of way, a mischievous smile on his mouth.

"Let's see," he took a few steps forward, slow and steady. It was amazing to watch him move. His feet glided across the ground gently, not even kicking up a cloud of dust. "I think you…" said he, pointing a finger at Robin, "Are Robin! Am I right?" No one answered, but it didn't matter. He continued on.

"Of course I am! I think that was fairly obvious. I mean, not only do I not sense any supernatural energies coming from you, but I most certainly recognize that delightful little tool belt of yours. And besides that…" His finger lowed, gesturing towards the big letter "R" on Robin's uniform. "That "R" is really a dead give away. Now then," he took another few steps forward. He now aimed his hand towards Cyborg.

"You also are an easy one to recognize my friend. You are, after all, exactly what you name implies. Cyborg. A cybernetic organism, half man and half machine. Most wonderful! However," his eyes ran up and down the metal frame, "I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure I see much more machine than man. Now isn't that funny? Perhaps you have a few more human qualities hidden underneath all that steel?" Cyborg looked like he wanted to lunge at the guy, and maybe tear him in half, but he held his temper. The young man didn't seem to even notice as he continued on, now eyeing Starfire.

"Well, unless I'm wrong…and I dare say that I'm not," his voice was dripping with sarcasm, as he took a few more slow steps closer, and crossed his arms again. "I would have to be so bold as to assume you are Starfire, yes? The young alien girl from the planet Tamaran?" Starfire was puzzled by all of this, never having met this person before and yet he knew about her, seemingly well. "I hear it's a lovely place, but I haven't ever had the privilege. Perhaps in the future..."

"Now, who could ever forget the funny one?" His smile became a little friendlier, as another few steps were taken. "The green animal shape shifter that they call Beast Boy. Also a vegetarian and lover of pranks. No doubt that you would find work as a comedian if you weren't already…employed, full time."By this time, he was now only ten feet away or so, as his eyes finally landed on Raven, who had recovered and was standing.

"And last, but most certainly not least, the ever dark Raven. Home world of Azarath. Uses an array of powers, intriguing powers actually. And I must say, my dear, I was frightfully impressed that you managed to not only detect my mind probe, but put you tried to put up a mental defense against it. Pointless though it was, that still took great power as well as courage, and I feel I must commend you for it."

All the Titan's were feeling very uneasy about this guy. Normally in a situation like this, they would jump right into combat, and go from there. Here, this creepy guy was merely talking, playing games with them. Robin, not liking to have his head messed with, stepped forward again, now only about five feet away from this strange person.

"You obviously read our thoughts, and that's why you know who we are! But we still don't know you! Just exactly who are you and what are you doing here?" The young man raised a single eyebrow, a somewhat unsettling move.

"Aha," said he uncrossing his arms again, "Now we are getting to the crux of the matter, aren't we?" So saying, he placed his right arm across his waist, and bowed. "I can't really tell you my original name, because in truth, I myself don't even remember it. It has been quite a long time since I have ever needed that name." Robin wasn't satisfied with that sort of answer, but he never got a chance to interrupt. "But if you really wish to address me with a label, then by all means…" He bowed once more, his eyes shining bright, that same playful smile looking back at the Titan's.

"Call me… Raze." There was a pause. "I trust you know that word, yes? Raze also means, to destroy, to annihilate, to wreck, to ruin, and to flatten. So very fitting, don't you think?"


	2. Battle You Can't Win

**Chapter 2: **Battle You Can't Win

Silence followed in the wake if this revelation and it was some time before dialogue resumed.

"Okay, that tells us who you are," Robin said, breaking the silence. He then cast his hand at the surrounding damage that had been inflicted upon Central. "Now tell us why you are here and why you wrecked this part of the City. I hope you realize that this place may not ever recover from the damage!" The strange being calling himself Raze followed his gaze, almost admiring the carnage. He then shrugged.

"Hmm. Beats me," he answered, not really thinking about why. "I do things on the spur of the moment lets say. Never really thought about or even cared about as to why I do the things I do." Turning back to the Titan's he cocked his head to the side, and raised an eyebrow. "Seeing as how I lack a simple straightforward answer for you, then maybe you can try and answer something to me." He took several steps backward, and pointed to a nearby skyscraper, which had a gaping hole from one of the many attacks he had launched.

"You have fought in this city before, so you know that property damage is just part of the job. How do you know that I was annihilating these things here just for kicks? I have powers far beyond a normal persons aspect, so isn't it indeed plausible that I might have been fighting with creatures that neither regular humans nor yourselves could see? What say you, Almighty Titan's?"

The Titan's looked at one another, realizing that he had a very good point, and that not one of them could disprove what he was saying. At least all of them but one. Raven stepped up.

"Don't think you can fool us," she said darkly from under her hood. "When you reached into my mind, I caught a glimpse of your ambitions and intentions, and I saw nothing but evil. You were wrecking the place just because you could." Raze stared back at her, a serious expression on his face, bobbing his head like a rooster as it walked. Then a smile broke through the scowl, and he once again tossed his head back and had what sounded like a jolly laugh.

"Shucks," he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I was so sure no one would be able to solve _that_ little conundrum. I guess I wasn't thinking that the brains of your particular operation would figure it out. Kudos to you Raven, for deducting the truth. Brava!" After having another small chuckle, Raze began scanning the roads leading to Central.

"My, I must say this city really is quite pathetic. Five teenagers, and while I admit, you are all somewhat extraordinary in one way or another, is this really the city's only line of defense against people like me?" He raised both arms, in a questioning stance. "Wherever could your police force be? Where is the fire department to extinguish these awful flames? Are they too busy hiding under their respective rocks, waiting for you to defeat me? Pitiable. Truly pitiable."

He shook his head, grinning all the while. "Well, I must say it has been fun chatting with you all, but I really have to be going. I do have a schedule to maintain, and I've got to finish up here before I move on. So if you don't mind…" Turning their back to the Titan's wasn't something most villains would ever think of doing, unless they were extremely confidant in their abilities, or just plain idiotic.

So when Raze did so, the Titan's seemed to break free of some sort of spell, and readied themselves. Robin grabbed several more of his bombs, Cyborg transformed his arm into his Sonic cannon, Beast Boy, changed into a large wolf, and Starfire and Raven charged up their energies. Robin yelled out "Hold it!" Raze had walked a few yards away, but now he turned his eyes back, seeing the Titan's were now ready to strike.

"What's this," he asked, his eyes moving from one to the next, mild amusement and hints of curiosity mixed into his gaze. "Am I to assume that you really want to _fight_ me? How absolutely insane of you all. Do you even have any sort of clue as to who I _actually_ am? I have a sneaking suspicion that you don't." Robin pointed at him, his arm curled, poised to launch his disks.

"We're fighting a criminal, who's pointlessly blew apart this area, and that's all that matters." Raze smirked back at him, running a hand through his spiky hair.

"That's cute Sparky. Absolutely adorable However, I tell you now, you are about to enter a battle you have absolutely no hopes of winning, and perhaps even surviving. So I will say this but once," His eyes hardened, and he turned back to face them, a stern tone in his voice. "For your own sake, and the sake of your friends…back down, and return to your little Tower. I am not something you have _ever _faced before. To put this simply…to fight me, is a great way to get acquainted with Death. Am I understood?"

The Titan's have all heard this sort of thing before, an enemy saying how great he or she was, saying that if they messed with them, they would end up dead or something. Robin stood proudly among his friends.

"You have never faced us before, so you really don't have any idea what we are capable of, right?" Raze shook his head.

"Why not clean out you ears once in a while, small fry, and listen to what is being said. Are you deaf or what? I said there is _no_ way you can beat me. Is that really so hard to comprehend? And I know exactly what _I_ am facing and I'm telling you with complete assurance that when it comes to fighting and beating your five…" he trailed off, and sort of leaned in, his fangs grinning, and he softly and mockingly told them, "I'm…not…worried."

With that, he straightened, and began tapping the toe of his boot.

"I know you have been in tough spots before, fought against some seriously "powerful" foes. Like you arch nemesis Slade? He is indeed a stubborn one."

That most definitely got under Robin's skin, and he jumped forward and demanded, "What do you know about Slade! Tell me!" The little outburst made Raze snicker.

"I know what you know, little Robin. How quickly you forget that I read your mind earlier. Meaning, everything you know about Slade, well…now I know too. And while I've not met the man, I see from your mind that he is a fearsome opponent. At least for yourself. All I was saying is that if you think someone like Slade was a formidable villain, then what chance do you think you'll have against someone far stronger, more dangerous, and many times more ruthless?"

"And you're suppose to be more powerful than Slade," questioned Cyborg, scratching the human portion of his head. "You look only a little older than any of us, wearing a black coat."

"Granted," responded Raze with a shrug, "But like all of you I'm sure, there are always hidden factors in the displaying of ones power. The villains you fight on a daily basis and I have very little in common. They have so many flaws, that I suppose its no wonder you are able to best them."

This easily sparked curiosity in the Titans, but it was Raven who asked first. "What flaws are you talking about?"

Raze turned back to face them, with a smug and yet disturbing grin on his face. "What indeed? Well, it's actually very simple." As he stood there, the Titan's began to notice that his feet were no long touching the ground. He was hovering several inches above it. And he was going up.

"These imperfections all are hinged with their own mortality." His voice turned dark, with a hint of loathing, as he continued. "To be careless is to be a mortal. To be reckless is to be a mortal. To be incompetent is to be a mortal. To be _WEAK_ is to be a mortal. I trust you follow where I'm going with this. As you can clearly see," he gestured down to his feet which were now a good twenty-five feet from the asphalt, and still gaining altitude. "I have other worldly powers, the kinds of which most people haven't even dreamed up to be possible. So tell me, do you see now?"

Now being very high up, Raze landed atop a three story building, looking down at the Titan's. Robin yelled up at him.

"So, are you saying that you are an immortal?" Raze shrugged back, pulling at a few loose strands of silver from his spiky head.

"I'm not really sure myself. As far as I'm concerned, I am, but I'm sure there are numerous technicalities that would say otherwise, but I don't bother to worry about those."

As if demonstrating his abilities, Raze leaped from the roof, crashing into the street, shattering the already cracked pavement. He stood, and arched his shoulders.

"Very well, I've have had enough of this meaningless talk." He looked each Titan in the eye, moving from one to the other, and then shook his head sadly. "I did indeed read your minds, and I know, without a doubt, that no matter what I say to deter you," his hand reached to the base of the left sleeve on his trench coat and undid the clasp with a snap, "no matter what argument I offer," another snap and the right sleeve came undone, "no matter what explanation I give, I know you will still want to fight me. So now that I know that this encounter will end in violence," he rolled the collar off his shoulders, and black coat slid off, falling into his left hand. "I am eager to begin the combat."

Without even looking, he threw the trench coat to his left, and it landed ever so neatly on a burnt tree limb. Without the coat, the Titan's could tell that this guy Raze was heavy duty, looking like a solid combination of raw muscle and sheer strength.

Raze, now unencumbered by his black coat, twisted his neck sideways, having his left ear touch his shoulder, letting off a sickening crack. He repeated this same motion by twisting his head to the right. Once loosed up, he began to walk towards them, in a heavy stride. As he did so, he began to snapping his knuckles, and punching a fist into his hands.

"Seeing as how you are still kids, I've decided to take it easy with you. Aren't I nice?" Finally ready to battle, the Titan's assumed their positions.

Beast Boy, right before he transformed into a gorilla, said, "Your call dude, but I think your going to need to change your mind."

Raze closed his eyes, seeming to lapse into a meditative state. This only lasted a moment or two and his eyes opened again.

"I can sense you are all very strong, so this should make for an interesting clash. Hah, good fun." In a slow, fluid motion, Raze lowered himself into a crouching martial arts stance. His legs were spread apart, bent at the knee, while his hands were up, palms open with his fingers slightly curled. "I trust you are all familiar with one form of hand-to-hand combat or another? It is something I excel at." Both sides now stood poised, ready for the battle to begin. Raze, twisted his hand around, and made a little waving gesture, and he said in a teasing voice said, "Come, let's fight."

As he said this, Robin yelled out "Titan's Go!" and on command they surged forward in their usual battle array. They quickly closed the distance, but before they reached him, a panicked look came into Raze's expression, and he straightened himself. His hand went straight out, and thundered, "HALT!"

All the Titan's hit the brake, and came skidding to a stop right in front of Raze, each having a bewildered look. Raze meanwhile, looked as if he was pondering something very deep and profound, and then at last, a light of understanding came into his eyes.

He slapped his forehead, and yelled out, "Of course!" He raised his head to the sky as he began laugh, a bellowing sound. When he finally finished, he had to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I just knew something was missing, it just didn't feel right. Excuse me a moment." Turning his back on the Titan's, Raze began to slowly rotate his eyes, looking for something in Central.

He eventually locked onto what he was searching for, and he pointed and shouted, "Aha, there you are!" In an instant, his feet left the ground again, only a few inches this time, and took off at high speeds to something on the other side of the plaza. The Titan's looked at one another, totally perplexed by this villain's erratic behavior. Naturally, they followed.

They landed a little ways down the street, and found Raze standing in front of a store window, still intact, face pressed right against the glass. It was a high-tech electronics store, filled to the brim with enough hardware to make NASA feel jealous.

"Jackpot," was all he said. He backed off, and pressed one open palm onto the glass. A second later, the window shattered into a million pieces. Then, things got very strange. Raze made a weird gesture with his hand, turning his palm around, pointing upwards with his index and middle fingers for a moment, then simply turned and walked back out into the plaza.

"Come to pappa!" The bizarre thing was all the electronics in the store, speakers, amplifiers, radios, stereos, plasma televisions, and even more, came floating after him, as if they were actually heeding his summon. They were all suspended in the air, their power cords dangling below them and they gathered over Raze's head like a swarm of bees.

Seeing something similar like this before, all the Titan's turned to Raven, who was also staring at the spectacle. Noticing the looks of her friends, she shook her head. "Don't look at me; he must be the one doing that." Once all the electronics settled above him, Raze raised both of his hands over his head and yelled out, _"HAAAA!!!"_ The result was every single machine that was being held up, exploded in a shower of circuits, wires, and chunks of plastic.

"Time to turn this garbage into something sweet!" said he, not to anyone in particular. Working fingers like he was typing on a computer keyboard, all the ruined radios, stereos and the like began to clump together. Circuits connected, separated wires were reunited, and the ripped plastic housings began to fuse back to the way they were, and then began growing larger. And all the while, his red eyes were flying back and forth, closely monitoring his work, a smile on his mouth, clearly enjoying himself.

This whole display was indeed spectacular to watch, but it effected none more than Cyborg who was watching in amazement.

"I ain't believein' what I'm seein'! He totally trashed those things and throwin' back together in an instant! And he's not even using his hands!" His face turned to a deep red as he started shaking his fists over his head, and began to throw a tantrum. "He's makin' me look like an amateur! Dah!"

"Dude," exclaimed Beast Boy, who had always thought Cyborg was good at electronics, "Look at him go! He's good!"

"But the question is," said Robin, watching the slowly expanding pieces of hardware, "what's he making?" Starfire was mystified, knowing that she had seen Raven do this sort of thing before, but nothing that lasted this long.

As for Raven, she too was amazed at this "Raze's" incredible skill with telekinesis. It takes a lot of focus to lift up large heavy objects, but even more effort and concentration is required to handle hundreds, maybe even thousands of tiny little pieces, let alone the task of putting them back together so swiftly and carefully.

It soon became apparent that Raze wasn't putting all the parts together to make one giant electronic, but to several big ones. They appeared to be four large black boxes, nearly fifteen feet or so in height, and five feet thick. Each was trailing a substantial black cable that was meeting towards a final black box. This one wasn't quite as large as the others; only reaching about seven feet, but it was far wider, being a rectangle twelve feet long and four feet thick.

But the shorter one was nearly covered from top to bottom with switches, knobs, dials, and buttons. At last, the final pieces popped into place, and Raze's masterpiece was completed. The four tall boxes were now plugged into the fifth one with their long cords. By waving his hands in an indicated direction, a box would fly that way and crash to the ground. They spread throughout the entire area, surrounding a small portion of Central plaza. Finally, Raze turned back to the Titan's gesturing with his head behind him.

"So sorry for the wait," he said with a coy and yet insane smile, "But a battle just isn't as meaningful without an epic soundtrack to go along with it. Don't you agree?" All five of the Titan's stared at him, and as one, they all fell over; sure that Raze had been constructing some sort of Doomsday machine to fight them. But instead, it was just a souped-up stereo.

"I don't believe this," yelled Cyborg, waving his arm frantically at the super-pumped up sound system. "He just built a better sound system than we have at the Tower in five minuets! This is so wrong!" Raze laughed good-naturedly.

"A simple knack for me, nothing more. It did take me a while to get it right though." Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers, and the master amplifier control system came online, the ground shaking from the sheer power of sound that it was just begging to put out.

"Prepare yourselves, for the ultimate experience of battle!" As he said this, a single slot popped out of the side of the amplifier, the CD tray. Raze pointed over to his trench coat, which was still hanging from the tree branch, and it fell off and flew over to his awaiting hands. Reaching into its inner pockets, he pulled out two objects, his shades, and a sparkling CD. As before, he threw his coat back to the side, landing on the same branch. He twirled the CD on his index finger, just like a basketball. Then, in a flash, the disk was gone, and went spiraling into the tray, which then popped back into the machine. The amplifier clicked and whirred, seeming very eager to begin.

Turning back to the player, Raze stretched forth his hand, his palm open. His fingers looked like they closed on an invisible door knob, and he turned his hand oh so slowly to the right. As he did so, all the knobs and dials on the amplifier turned with him, buttons were depressed, and switches were flicked. As the wattage of power, and the intensity of the volume kept going up, the resonance of the speakers, the other four boxes, strategically positioned around the area, began to tremble, the sound of the sub-woofers alone causing the earth to shudder violently.

Once the overdrive system had been turned on, the digital display which showed the current music track being played began to count up to number twelve. Raze, finally ready to begin this fight, turned to face his opponents. Once again, he twisted his neck, left and then right, snapping the bones. His knuckles soon followed. Only then did he once more crouch into his martial arts pose, hands hanging in the air.

The Titan's were ready, bracing themselves for his imminent attack, as well as the music that was going to come pouring from the speakers. Giving them a grin, Raze noticed that his sunglasses were still in his hand. Shaking out the arms, he slid them over his eyes, and then jerked his head to the amplifier behind him. The pause button on the display vanished from sight, only to reappear as the symbol for play.

A single moment of silence…and then the speakers came to life, ripping through the silence, shredding it to ribbons. A gong crashed, sending the unseen waves of its resonance out from the speakers. This was followed by a techno trance theme, light and fast notes, in unison with a deep echoing voice. "Choose your destiny, Flawless victory!" and then a warrior screaming _"MORTAL KOMBAT!" _From over the sounds of the beat, and from behind his shades, Raze arched his eyebrows, and his grin grew ever wider. He put his hands together, and then bowed at the waist before the Titan's

"Well, shall we dance?"

Robin yelled out, "Titan's Go!" and thus the combat began. "Fight!" Robin went in first, pulling back his fist to deliver a right hook into Raze's face, but he hit nothing but air. Looking down, he saw that Raze had easily ducked under his wide attack. Before he could jump away, a heavy elbow connected into the vulnerable area right below the rib cage, knocking the air from his lungs. Using his other hand, Raze took a grip on Robin's utility belt, and with only a single arm, swept him aside, crashing him into a nearby store front.

This whole incident took only two seconds, and before Cyborg could reach Robin, he had already been thrown. Pulling back his right fist, Cyborg jumped into the air, and came crashing down where Raze was standing. While his fist did connect against flesh, it wasn't what he had intended. Raze had used both his hands to grab and hold Cyborg's fist. Cyborg would have turned his arm into his sonic cannon and then blasted Raze, but he was too slow. In a flash, Raze twisted the thick metal arm to the right with insane force. If this trick was done on a human arm, chances are it would have broken.

But Cyborg was made of steel so instead of breaking, his feet were swept out from under him. Before he could land on the ground in a heap, Raze planted a solid foot right into the middle of him. To Cyborg, it felt like he had been hit by a truck, and with that impact, he went spiraling away, imprinting himself into a brick wall. Raze stood up again, and without really even thinking about it, kicked out behind him. His boot connected with Beast Boy's panther mouth, sending him reeling.

From above, over Raze's head, a barrage of green Starbolts came raining down on his position, detonating everywhere, covering the battlefield with dust. When the smoke cleared, there stood Raze, seemingly unharmed, looking as if they didn't even faze him. As Starfire began firing a second volley, hoping this time around would be more effective, Raze began to move, running across the ground at terrific speed, almost like he was teleporting. He zigzagged along, back and forth, back and forth making it next to impossible for Starfire to hit him. As he closed the distance and finally got right under her, he simply vanished for a split second.

And then he was back, but now less than a foot in front of Starfire, hovering like before. That certainly gave her a major shock, but not enough time to react. Raze's open palm was a few inches away from her, staring back at her, with buzzing electricity tickling her face. "Bang." was all he said, and a staggering bolt of lightning crashed right into Starfire, momentarily frying her. Needless to say, she went plummeting back down, landing in a heap near a few cars.

As Raze was landing, he faintly heard over the echo of the thunder, and the heavy techno theme of Mortal Kombat, the words, "Azarath Metrion Zithos!" No sooner did his feet touch the ground, but then several light poles and parking meters laced with dark energy came swinging towards him. He saw them coming, but instead of dodging, Raze simply stood their, letting them slam into his frame. The iron poles snapped like tooth picks around his body. From behind the glasses, he stared up at Raven, and gave her a wink.

He then vanished again, only to rematerialize over by a nearby car, and delivered a savage kick to it. Not only did he dent the entire side of car, but it went flying up at Raven, who had to put up a shield, to protect herself. This wasn't just to protect against the projectile itself either, because following that, Raze then fired a small beam of white energy which struck the gas tank, causing the car to explode into a fireball.

Several seconds past, as Raze gazed around, seeing the Titan's were still picking themselves up from the ground. But a nearby yell got his attention.

Robin had gotten his breath back around the time he saw Starfire get struck by lightning, and he realized a frontal attack wouldn't work on this guy, he was wickedly fast. So he circled around and came swooping in from behind him, ready to try his right hook again. Alas, it wasn't meant to be, as Raze merely took a step back, and grabbed Robin's fist as it came past. Not one to be easily grabbed, Robin twisted his body, bringing his left leg in, ready to ram his foot into Raze's stomach.

This also failed, as Raze moved faster than anyone Robin had ever seen. He almost casually reached out and grabbed his ankle. "My turn," he hissed. With both hands in use, keeping Robin's arm and leg restrained, he chose to use his head in a very literal sense. Raze cracked his right onto Robin's, momentarily stunning him. After that, he released Robin's leg, and he planted another elbow right into Robin's now sore midsection. But that wasn't all this time.

While his elbow was still imbedded, he brought the back of his hand up and hit that against Robin's face, causing him to stagger back. And finally, pulling his arm down, Raze drove it up right into Robin's chin, completing a fearsome uppercut combo. The force of the blow knocked Robin into the air, and Raze would have launched some attack up after him, but Starfire grabbed Robin while he was in air, and carried him out of the line of fire. Besides, both Cyborg and Beast Boy were back up, and they charged simultaneously.

Beast Boy reached him first, in the form of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, so naturally he covered more ground faster. Jaws open wide, Beast Boy brought down his head to try and get the bite on Raze. So clumsy an attack was useless against someone as quick as he was, which he demonstrated, as well as his incredible dexterity. Raze jumped into the air at the last possible second, performing an impressive back flip. Beast Boy's teeth only grabbed the pavement and dirt, and that missed attack cost him. As Raze came back down, he landed on Beast Boy's head; feet first, and he drove the dinosaurs face even deeper under the ground with just the power of his landing.

Not stopping there, Raze performed another back flip, a much larger one, but this time coming down by the lizard's tail. Grabbing hold, he showed off his colossal strength by swinging Beast Boy around, right as Cyborg and Starfire were coming at him. The two of them saw what was about to happen and tried to run, but they got slammed by the flying reptile.

While he stood admiring his little display, Raze was then aware that someone was behind. He looked around, and was blasted right in the face with dark energy, creating a cloud of smoke. As it cleared, Raze's head was totally unscathed, save a singed hair or two. Pushing his glasses down onto the bridge of his nose, he grinned, looking Raven in the eye.

"Sneaky," said he. Suddenly he was gone, and before Raven could try and locate him, she was struck from behind by an enormous force of wind. An attack made up of nothing more than raw telekinetic force. "But so am I."

"Yaaaaa!" came a nearby scream, and Raze's hands jerked from his sides just in time to seize the steel staff that was aiming for the side of his head. In another stealthy move, after Starfire had dropped him, Robin had used the ensuing chaos of the flying dinosaur to get behind Raze and jumped in, swinging his staff. After securing a grip on the weapon, Raze smirked at Robin.

"Nice try," he said as he jerked the staff hard to the right. Robin was unable to keep a firm grasp on the smooth pole, and went spiraling away. Once he was gone, Raze began to whirl and twirl the staff through his fingers. He kept the staff moving around himself at a startling rate, appearing that he had a swirling shield of metal protecting him. His flurry ended with him bringing the bow an inch away from his own face, then using the tip to gently push his shades back up his nose. He was already aware that someone was coming from behind, but he didn't move, waiting. He finally turned when the first beam of sonic energy went sizzling by his head.

Cyborg was being carried by Starfire, who began to fire the green lasers from her eyes as Cyborg continued to fire his cannon. Raze began to twirl the bow again, the attacks deflecting right off, causing damage to everything around him. Then, he wound up his arm and launched the staff. His aim was right on, hitting Starfire right in the forehead, causing her to drop

Cyborg who went tumbling down. Determined not to waste this golden opportunity that was being handed to him, Raze darted forward, and lifted off the ground, and stuck out right foot. He had timed it perfectly, so when Cyborg had nearly hit the ground, he came streaking in with a flying jump kick, connecting with Cyborg's metal chest, placing a sizeable dent into the armor.

As he was knocked aside, the staff he had thrown at Starfire, came back down, which he now grabbed. Before the giant crocodile could close its mighty jaws around his midsection, Raze retracted the staff, and then thrust it into the cavernous mouth directly behind him, then reopened it. Beast Boy found his mouth being held open by one of Robin's staffs, and in a form that basically relied on jaw power, he couldn't really do anything. Not showing any mercy, Raze then performed a splendid dropkick right into what would be called a crocodile's chin, hurling Beast Boy aside.

Looking up, Raze saw a huge SUV coming down on top of him, so he decided to evade, streaking out from under it. The impact of the cement caused the gas tank to rupture and it detonated in a wave of fire. Another car was still hovering over Raven's head, and after missing with the first, she hurled the second. This time however, Raze extended his own hand, and took a firm telekinetic grip on the car. What ensued was a tug of war between Raven and Raze, although a difference in their power was indeed apparent. While he was concentrating, Raze reached out and took hold of three more cars, and lifted them off the ground and threw them at Raven.

Knowing that she was going to be crushed if she didn't break off her concentration, Raven released the hold she had on the car, and had to evade the vehicles being hurled at her. However, while the first one missed, and exploded on the street, the others turned and came tearing back at her. Raven had to go through the nearest wall to avoid the imminent three car pile up behind her. As she vanished, Raze threw the cars into the wall anyway, even though he knew he wouldn't hit her.

They blew up, and from the roof of that building, a very tall building actually, jumped Robin, who had used his grappling hook to reach the roof, in an attempt to try a different type of attack. As he was freefalling, he threw down nearly every explosive device he had, raining them down on Raze. Smirking back up at the foolish move Robin made, Raze extended his hands, and took hold of each and every bomb that was flying down at him.

In an instant, he reversed their direction and sent them hurtling back up to meet Robin on his descent. There is really little a person can do while they are plummeting down, and so all those bombs detonated, the concussion blast throwing Robin clear of the majority of the explosion, but not before he had suffered some burns and shrapnel damage. He collapsed to the ground in a smoking heap.

Turning his attention back to threats on the ground, Raze lifted up a forearm just as Cyborg's fist came flying in. The grin on his face did nothing more than to make Cyborg even angrier, and he began to hail both punches and kicks down on Raze, roaring like an enraged bull. While he was strong, Cyborg didn't really excel at speed, and so Raze easily blocking every hit with ease, seemingly oblivious to any damage that the giant metal fists and feet might have possibly inflicted. This skirmish lasted for a few moments, until Raze finally ducked under a wide left roundhouse, and punched Cyborg in his gut.

"What's the matter Metal-Man," he asked wickedly, "can't you hit me?" Not waiting for an answer, he began to rain his own fists on Cyborg's already dented armor. His arms moved with horrific speed and in an instant, Cyborg had two dozen new impressions in his metal hide. To add even more injury to insult, Raze finished him off by leaping up and delivered a kick right onto the left side of Cyborg's face. The force of the blow blew out his red bionic eye, as well as send Cyborg crashing through another wall. Once he landed, the blue light of his systems began to flicker.

From behind, Raze heard the gruff grunting sounds, and before the two descending gorilla fists could fall atop his head, he leapt into the air, whirled about, and struck back with a flying roundhouse kick right onto Beast Boy's already swollen face, knocking him away. The giant ape came to a stop on top of a car, and rolled to the ground, while Raze landing a split second later, looking as if he hadn't even moved. His eyes rose to Starfire, who began to lob even more Starbolts than before at him.

Raze didn't even flinch as close to one hundred green balls of energy slammed into him. However, when the dust settled, he was gone. Starfire didn't even have time to think about looking behind her, nor did she have any idea what hit her. What happened was, after instantaneously moving right behind her, Raze opened his mouth, and a huge ray of white hot light struck Starfire in the back, that not only drove her to the ground, but ripped through the asphalt, depositing her several feet under the ground.

As he landed, Raven emerged from another building, the dark energies from her hands and eyes swirling. Raze turned his undivided attention to her, cocked his head playfully, and from behind the sunglasses, a similar light was breaking through, in addition to his hands glowing. They instantaneously fired their beams of swirling energies, the resulting clash causing the ground to shake. Once more, there was a significant difference in their power. Raven was using both hands to focus her inner energies, while Raze was not. Even more perhaps, he didn't even appear to be concentrating, while Raven was straining to keep up the assault. Sensing her weaken, Raze used his free hands to remove his sunglasses, and winked at her.

"Not bad," said he, "But not enough." So saying, he pressed even harder, and his own beam of dark power grew nearly twice as large as Raven's and it quickly pushed her back. She was struck by the energy and was knocked backwards, striking her head against a metal mailbox, which had inexplicably survived the conflict. As the dust settled, and as the Mortal Kombat theme was drawing to a close, it seemed over. Raze's eyes circled the area, observing the Titan's down for the count.

All but one. At the last second, during the final techno beats, Robin came running up from behind, not giving up, despite his injuries, which were numerous. And while his charge was brave and noble, it was also very foolish. Without any hesitation, Raze pivoted his whole body around and struck Robin with a stern left backhand, which was more than enough to finish him off. He went sprawling into the dirt, coming to a stop after skidding several yards. What's really interesting was the moment that Raze's hand connected, the final gong sounded, marking the end of the battle, a total of three minuets and forty-two seconds.

The speakers suddenly became silent, and the whole system lost power, shutting down. Central became eerily quiet, and unsettling. Raze was the only one standing, with not even a bruise or scratch to speak of. The five Titan's were scraping themselves up off the ground, in apparent states of pain, their previous vigor having long been spent. Reluctant to give up though, the Titan's surrounded Raze, each one standing on shaky legs, holding one wound or another, still wanting to continue to fight.

Raze meanwhile, had his eyes closed, his head lower, looking towards the ground. He slid the sunglasses to the top of his head, and then ran a hand through his hair.

"Persistent, aren't you? Did I not warn you all that you were merely waving the red cape in front of the bull? And now, where has that gotten you?" Robin was clutching his side, a significant tear in his uniform, as well as a fair amount of blood staining the already red fabric.

"We… won't…" he barely had enough energy to stand, and he was panting heavily, not being able to even speak. Raze raised his head, cracking open one eye, and looked at Robin from the corner of it.

"You won't what? Let me leave? Why, dear boy, I really don't think you have much say in the matter. In fact you have _no_ say in the matter." He sighed, and covered his face with a gloved hand. "You have no one to blame for your current condition, or the condition of your teammates…but yourselves. You all were so eager to fight me, despite my warnings. And seeing as how all five of you are on the verge of collapsing where you stand, I have no choice but to discontinue this fight."

The Titan's were not about to let the villain escape, but there was little any of them could do to stop him. Raze casually started walking, passing only a few feet from Robin, who made a feeble attempt to grab hold of him. Instead, his legs gave out, and he got a face full of dirt for his trouble. The others shakily ran over to where he had fallen.

Raze made his way back over to the crispy tree, and picked up his trench coat, throwing it over his shoulder, and watched as Robin was helped to his feet. Despite falling, Robin must have regained enough strength to talk, as he continued what he was saying before.

"We're not finished! You haven't won yet!" Raze shook his head.

"I disagree Sparky. You are not only battered and bruised, but you are beaten. And while I am a malicious being in many ways, I have to draw the line at thrashing a group of teenagers that are already injured. That would just be wrong on so many levels. I will say this to you however," he started over, and didn't stop until he was about five feet away. "You did provide me with a most interesting fight that I won't soon forget. And I can promise that you will see me again. When or where is something that I haven't decided upon, but make no mistake," Raze leaned forward, and pulled the glasses down over his eyes, as he smiled in a most sinister way, "I _will_ be watching you."

So saying, he made an about face, and started off. As he walked, he used his left hand to make eccentric symbols, while pointing at the sky. Almost at once, dark clouds began to form in the sunny sky as if from nowhere, soon blotting out the sun. The flashes of lightning and the rumbling thunder accompanied it as they settled over Central. Raze turned, and gave the Titan's a strange salute.

"We'll be in touch," he said. Robin couldn't bear seeing a criminal escape, so he lunged forward, yelled, "Stop!" and threw a Birdarang at Raze. His action wasn't fast enough, for before his weapon reached the target, a colossal bolt of black lightning came crashing down where Raze was standing. Instead of being a single flash, this bolt seemed to stay on the ground, and did not retreat back into the sky. This bolt surrounded Raze, and Robin's weapon was vaporized instantly.

From within the barrier of electricity, Raze was smiling, and mockingly waving good-bye. In a blast of air, the lightning bolt launched like a rocket back up to the clouds, taking him with it, where it hovered for a moment. All the Titan's were watching in disbelief, having never seen such odd weather occurrences. As a final display, the black bolt appeared to grow brighter, but then split off into several smaller fragments, and went flying in every direction, with a roar of a titanic thunderclap. As soon as the black lightning vanished, the ominous clouds above began to dissipate and in less than thirty seconds, they too were gone.

It was over...


	3. Analysis & Restoration

**Chapter 3: **Analysis & Restoration

The sky cleared, and the villain was gone, but unfortunately, the damaged remained. The park and Gateway looked like a crematorium; nearly every building in the plaza had suffered from anywhere between minor damages, to serious structurally compromising harm. Ruined vehicles were strewn all over the place, while there were an incalculable number of fractures, craters, and holes in both the sidewalks and streets. The air was heavy, thick with the scent of burning wood and vegetation, the soot covering nearly everything under an inch of dark powder. It was a depressing scene, and in the center of all this devastation, were the Titan's, feeling as banged up as Central. There were surrounded by a solemn aura, so disheartening it was that even Beast Boy didn't even try to make light of the situation by telling a joke.

It was clear from looking at them, exactly what was troubling them so greatly. In fact, it was painfully obvious. They had been defeated in battle by a dangerous felon. But more than that, even if they _had_ beaten him, even if they had subdued him, the damage left in his wake would make a lasting impression of his presence. To gaze upon the ruined plaza was proof enough of his assured victory, making any ending for the Titan's feel like defeat. In essence, he had defiled what they had sworn to protect, and they were unable to stop him. But the real kick in the head was none of these things. It was simply: Raze had gotten away. This was a dark day indeed for the Teen Titan's.

Not too long after the black storm clouds began to drift away, the Titan's began to hear the sounds of emergency sirens approaching, most likely having to clear a path through the wreckage. No one spoke. How could they really? It was quite sometime before anyone made any sort of motion, as they stood there, their eyes fixed upon the sky. What broke the silence was a quiet hum, followed by a clicking sound. Everyone turned to Cyborg who was once again was flickering like a defective Christmas tree light. He checked his own status.

"Man," he said in a low voice, "I need to get back and start on repairs, or else I'll shut down." Robin nodded, and without another word, the five of them began to trudge back to their Tower. As they departed, the emergency forces arrived, and began their normal process of shifting through the debris. The first thing they found that none of them could explain was amidst the destruction, they found the wreckage of what looked like the insides of hundreds of electronics.

_Time passes…_

It didn't take long for the Titan's to recover physically. Really, Cyborg had suffered the most of the superficial damage. This included the dozens of dents in his armor, as well as his bionic eye, which he replaced right away. Robin had been suffering from anything from shrapnel wounds, burns, cuts, scratches, bruises, and a concussion. While he healed quickly, he was perhaps the most affected by the defeat. Beast Boy had a swollen eye as well as slightly fractured jaw, mercifully keeping his mouth in a bandage, preventing him from talking. Thanks to his genetic make-up, it didn't take more than three days for that to heal fully.

Both Starfire and Raven had gotten by with only minor injuries. Starfire had a few burns from the lightning attacks, and she had to spend then next week showering constantly trying to remove the stink of Raze's beam of light from his mouth. Raven had a few bruises, but she had a migraine for quite a while. All in all, they came through the encounter with minor physical injuries, but the emotional shock? That was something that wouldn't just vanish over night. They spent this week of recovery usually by themselves, contemplating, meditating, and repairing. Fortunately, in this time period of vulnerability, no other criminals decided to take advantage of the situation of it being a Titan-free city.

A week passed quite quickly, and finally, the group began to revert back to their old ways, joking and having fun. At least until Robin called them into the living room. Naturally the topic of the conversation was their newest acquaintance.

"Okay," said Robin, looking as if he was having some difficultly in what he was saying. It was understandable, due to the fact that none of the Titan's had ever been so sorely thrashed, and to have the criminal slip through their grasp. And what's more, this "Raze" did so without any trouble. "I know this is hard, but we need to go over what happened last week." This was followed by an awkward silence, so Robin cleared his throat and pointed the remote to the primary view screen. The gigantic monitor clicked on, and on the display were the best images of Raze that had been captured by Cyborg's recording equipment and scanners. It presented four different short images, showing him move about.

The first was Raze as they found him, in his total garb: trench coat, shades, dark cloths, and silver jewelry, slowly strolling forward. The second was after he had cast off his coat, crouching into his martial arts stance. The third was him without his glasses, his dark eyes having an unearthly glow about them, and then a quick wink. The last one was Raze hovering in the air, two bolts of energy radiating off his hands and then being hurled at his target. Surrounding these key images was several other scans, such as ultraviolet, infrared, and x-ray.

"Raze," said Robin, freezing the images. "What do we know about him?" It may have been funny if during the uncomfortable quiet that followed, a cricket chirped, but it was no time to be joking. Finally, Cyborg shifted around in his seat.

"I have been running as many types of scans as I could, and as far as I could see, he's human. I couldn't find any genetic alteration, or any unusual characteristics like larger bone structure to explain how he was able to everything he did. It doesn't make any sense. I've never met a human strong enough to dent my armor plating!"

"Yeah," cried Beast Boy, hopping up. "He was like, totally everywhere! I mean I was like "Rah!", and he was like whoosh, and then he was like, bang! He was so fast I couldn't have kept up with him even if I had six eyes or something." Starfire nodded.

"This is true, and I am still combating the smell of the light that came from his mouth." Everyone took a sniff, getting a strong whiff of the foul stench. Starfire turned bright red and pulled out a disinfectant air freshener and began to spray it everywhere."

"Not only that," said a thoughtful Raven, her arms crossed, "He had incredibly strong psychic powers, and such excellent control over them. When he said he was powerful, he wasn't lying. Whoever he is and wherever he comes from, it's a sure thing that he is a pro." Robin nodded, rubbing his arm.

"I saw first hand how fast and strong he is. I could almost have sworn that he was teleporting or something, but Cyborg's scanners show it was just raw speed." Starfire threw the now empty can over her shoulder, which landed on an already substantial pile of similar cans.

"Then however are we to catch this "Raze" if we can't even see him when he moves?" No one really had an answer to this question.

"I don't now how to stop him," said Robin, punching one fist into his palm, a determined gleam in his eye behind the mask, "But we will have to find a way. We're still not even sure what he was after. Any ideas?" Beast Boy scratched his head, trying to think of something. All he came up with was, "I dunno, maybe cause he was bored?" Robin gave him a sharp look, pretty much telling him "be serious". Cyborg was reclined in the couch, studying the images.

"Maybe he didn't have a reason," he suggested, "Maybe he was in the neighborhood, and decided to trash the place. People do that, you know." Robin contemplated this, but shook his head. "I really don't know. He didn't leave any trace behind, and it is really impossible to track someone that can vanish like that."

"Yeah," yelled Beast Boy, "how does someone disappear in a bolt of lightning? I mean, it's cool, but I didn't even know if that was possible!" There was no denying that something that bizarre was extraordinary.

"It doesn't matter what he can do," said Robin, "You heard what he said, "I'll be watching you," which means he is going to come back eventually. When that happens we can get him, but we need to figure out a way to do that. Did anyone see any sort of weakness or vulnerable spot? Something that we can exploit?" They all wracked their brains, recalling the fight in their heads, trying to remember ever painful detail.

"I didn't see squat," concluded Cyborg, "My sonic cannon couldn't touch him. Neither could Star, and you and B.B. couldn't even lay a hand on him. I'd like to think that he has an Achilles' heel somewhere, but I couldn't see it." Cyborg had a very valid point, and while no one liked it, no one objected it. Except Robin.

"I don't believe he's invulnerable. I've never meet someone who is unbeatable, so we need to find someway to beat him! His speed gives him an advantage over us, but there must be a way to get around him."

"But how," asked Starfire, "None of us could strike him, and he would defeat us one by one. He reminds me very much Gortog the Mighty, being everywhere at once!"

"I think we need to put our heads together on this," said Raven, who had moved over to the computer terminal. She typed in a few commands, enhancing and enlarging a particularly interesting image of Raze. It was moments before he vanished in the black lightning bolt. It was an eerie sight to behold, his body being covered with the electricity, reflecting off the sunglasses. "We were fighting him, and we didn't know what he was capable of. Now things are different. We know how he moves, and how he thinks. With that, we can put together a plan to try and beat him next time." Robin nodded in agreement.

"I don't think he was lying about coming back, so we have to be prepared at all times. When he does come back, we'll be ready." And so it was, the Titan's began to think up battle strategies that could be used against their newest foe. After several hours, they grew restless, and they agreed to take a break, opting to go out for a bite to eat.

_In the City…_

It was no real surprise that the Titan's decided to eat at Central, having the finest selection of fast food chains and restaurants. Naturally, the real reason they decided on that was to see how the repairs were coming. A few days ago, the clean-up crews had moved aside all the rubble, and the re-construction teams started to come in, resetting the streets and sidewalks. After that, came the property damage, fixing any damage done to buildings, knocking down the ones that were structurally unsound, and starting from scratch. In one short week, the citizens had nearly forgotten about the disaster, going on with their lives. According to the reports that the Titan's had received, there were no injuries worse than some scratches and bruises, and there had been no fatalities. Apparently, despite Raze's attempts, no one lost their lives. Still, the worst harm was in the park, near the Gateway. After consuming vast quantities of pizza, the Titan's began to inspect the work. At the rate everything was going, the place would be as good as new in less than a week or three. All except the park. As the Titan's made their way over there, they steeled themselves for the charred wasteland that was sure to greet them. It never did.

Beyond their wildest imaginations, there was still some green around. The grass had burned down nearly to the ground, but still there were little green buds poking up through the blackened mess. The trees still looked as decrepit as before, but there was a man crouching at the roots of a tree, a little red box at his side. He was wearing a bright orange jumpsuit, a smiling tree embroidered on the back. Clipped to his belt was a portable music setup, a pair of headphones in his ears, and they could hear him humming some tune as they approached. Starfire's eyes immediately turned into two pink hearts at the sight of the cartoon tree, and she squealed aloud and bolted over, nearly tackling the man at the foot of the tree.

"Oh, the tree of smiles is soooo adorable!" she cried, "I must know where I can find one!" The man in the jumpsuit looked pretty surprised, but didn't seem to mind the attention. He looked to be someone fresh from college, a little older than twenty. His hair was black, with a small wiry mustache of the same color. His eyes were brown, full of vitality and vigor. He pulled out the earpieces to his headphones, and put them aside.

"Well young miss," he said, rubbing a hand through his hair, "I can't really say that I do. But come to think of it, I do have a Buddy the Happy Tree figurine in my van. You can help yourself. It's good to know that people still care for the environment." He gestured over to a beat up looking white van, parked near the entrance to the Gateway. Starfire squealed again, and dashed over, practically ripping the doors off the van.

"Sorry about that," apologized Robin, "She gets a little worked up." The guy in the orange clothes waved a dismissing hand.

"It's not trouble at all." He squinted his eyes, looking the teens over. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Hey, you're the Teen Titan's right? Man, I've heard a ton about you guys!" He went around shaking their hands. "Wow," he continued to gush, "Never thought I'd get to meet you guys. I bet you all get in major battles and stuff like that, right? You know fighting villains and saving stuff? Must be great! By the way," he cast an arm at the incinerated park, "You wouldn't know by any chance who did this, do you?" Robin nodded.

"A crazy criminal called Raze. Before we even got here, he went berserk, blasting everything in sight." The guy smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you guys gave what was coming to him, am I right?" His smile slowly vanished when he noticed that the Titan's were not returning the smile. While the guy wasn't the smartest person alive, he knew when to shut his trap, and change the subject. "Sorry 'bout that," he said, his face turning a slight red. "Anyway though, it looks like that nutcase didn't do that good of a job trashing the place. Everything that he broke can be fixed." That got the Titan' attention.

"What do you mean "fixed"," cried Beast Boy, brandishing his finger towards the nearest tree. "Take a look at that thing, it's totally deep fried! You tellin' me that a tree can come back from something like that?" The guy in orange laughed.

"Of course." He extended his hands to all the Titan's. "The name's Buddy. Buddy Kovak."

"Wait a second," said Cyborg, "didn't you say the name of that grinnin' tree was Buddy too?" Buddy nodded his head, turning his back towards the Titan's to get a better look at Buddy the Happy Tree. It looked like a bright green pine tree, with a pair of googly eyes and a big sloppy grin.

"Yeah, it's kinda embarrassing, but he's the mascot for our organization. And when we were picking the name, mine was pulled out of the hat. My lucky day, I guess. Anyways, I was sent here from the University in a nearby city to inspect the damage. I was told a major accident wrecked this park and I came here to see if I could help. It said in the reports that most of these trees and grass had died, a large fire was set here. But now that I'm here, I'm overjoyed to see that while they are on the brink of devastation, they are still alive." So saying, he gently pulled down a blackened branch, and oh so carefully, used his untrimmed thumbnail to scrape off a little of the charred bark. Underneath, were the signs of healthy looking brown bark.

"See," he said, "These are tough old trees. Quercus or Lithocarpus if I'm not mistaken." Buddy noticed the clueless faces of the Titan's, and he realized he was going over their heads. "That's their scientific name, but everyone knows them as oak trees. Normally the pattern of the leaves is how you identify them, but I can make out certain groves in the bark." While he talked, Buddy went back over to his small red box, and pulled out a glass jar, about half full of a translucent lime green liquid.

"I've done research on Oaks; their kinda my specialty. I know the misconception. Most people think that once a tree is burned up, its dead, but I've proved otherwise. It's only dehydrated; the intense heat evaporates up the water inside of it; and without leaves, it's difficult for them to create more food. So usually, the burned trees starve to death. That's where I come in." He patted the lid of the jar he held. Unscrewing the cap, he poured the contents over the exposed gnarled roots.

"I've concocted this formula, a fluid full of nutrients and minerals, which sustains the trees until they are able to fend for themselves. Look," he pointed to several trees around the area, where the small green buds were already beginning to form. "Grass is easily replaceable, but if left like they are, these trees wouldn't have survived, and then it would take countless generations for seedlings to reach this level of splendor! The bark will peel away in time, being replaced, and new leaves will sprout. With my care, I estimate that within the month, these oaks will look as good as new!"

This was definitely uplifting information to the Titan's, not really knowing about the physical anatomy of plants or trees. They clapped Buddy on the back, and shaking his hand. It was then that Starfire returned, hugging a plush stuffed animal version of Buddy the Happy Tree. Upon hearing of the news that the trees she had enjoyed so very much would return to normal, she couldn't control herself. She threw her arms around Buddy, giving him a titanic hug.  
"Oh thanks you so very much!" she cried, "Thank you for saving these wonderful trees!" The intense pressure being placed on Buddy was nearly more than he could survive, and his whole face seemed to turn red.

"Excuse me," he gasped, startled by this young girl's enormous strength, "But I can't really breath!" Once she released him, he collapsed onto the ground, panting for air. Robin extended his hand helping him to his feet, apologizing again. Buddy's smile never faltered, and shook his head. "Never fret," he said, "I'm built pretty tough. And actually, it does me good to see someone so excited for the trees. It makes me feel like I'm doing my job." They talked for a minute or two more, and the Titan's left the park. Before they left however, Starfire ran back over to Buddy.

"Please," she cried. She extended her hand, and held out a small black stone. It had a symbol etched into the smooth surface. "A lucky Tamaranian moon stone. Perhaps it will help you on your quest to save trees in the future." Buddy gave her a warm smile, and tucked it into his shirt pocket.

"Well thank you, I'm sure it will bring me great fortune. And please enjoy little Buddy there." As he went back to his work, Buddy cast a glance behind him, watching as the Titan's left. His gentle smile altered slightly for the barest of moments, to an unsettling grin, but then he turned back to his work, picking up his earpieces, and began to sing the words to some song or another.


	4. Cookies & S'mores

**Chapter 4:** Cookies and S'mores

And so, just like in the blink of ones eye, a month had passed. The Titan's stayed busy, defeating a plot from their old buddy Slade, foiling an attempted robbery, and the countless smaller crimes in between. Patrolling the city, keeping things safe; the usual routine. And during this period, things seemed to slide back into the way they had been. While they didn't show it, all of the Titan's, Robin more than any of the others, were still racking their brains, wondering who the mysterious Raze was, why he had appeared and then vanished so suddenly, or why he had not emerged for so long.

But at the time, facing against Slade, the stranger didn't really seem too important. It was evening, and while on a daily raid of the fridge, Beast Boy discovered that there was no real food in the place. All they had was several plastic mustard and ketchup packets, moldy graham crackers, and some weird blackish gunk that no one wanted to touch even with a stick.  
"Man, this stinks," whined Beast Boy, who was sitting in a chair, arms crossed, looking like he was about to throw a fit. "Not a thing to eat in the house! Who was supposed to get my tofu and snacks?" No one answered.

"Well," said Cyborg, trying to summon up the courage to poke the black blob, hoping it wasn't alive. "We ain't findin' anything here, so we might as go out for a bite. And I know I'm in the mood for pizza." His face seemed to freeze up, as a starry look came into his eyes. "Mmm, warm, cheesy goodness! We gotta have some pizza!"

"No way dude," argued Beast Boy, "we went out for pizza yesterday! I need something else!"

"Perhaps we could go to the place that serves those delicious burgers of ham," suggested Starfire," And also the long golden French of fries! Those are most tasty!"

"I can't eat a burger made of meat!" cried Beast Boy, his face turning an even darker shade of green, the mere thought of eating meat making him feel ill. "There's got to be something else!"

"You know," broke in Robin, hoping to defuse the situation before it exploded into a free for all. "We could always go to a Tex Mex restaurant. There's not too much meat there." Both Beast Boy and Cyborg traded glances, then said at the same time said, "Naw!"

Cyborg still hadn't given up on his pizza idea. "Come on man," he said, throwing an arm over Beast Boy's shoulders. "You know you can't resist the smell of pizza!"

"Or," said Raven from the side, who had been trying to ignore the ensuing dinner plans. "You all stop pointlessly arguing, and just order Chinese takeout or something." That stopped the argument, and both Beast Boy and Cyborg looked at each other.

"That's it," they cried. The two of them stampeded over to the phone, hitting the speed dial button for Wu Fong's Chinese takeout service. Not only did they have great food, but they were the only ones who would deliver it to Titan's Tower. "Okay, Chinese it is," yelled Cyborg. "Chow Main, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Low Main, Egg Foo Young, all that good stuff! I'm gonna get it with extra meat!" Beast Boy let out a shriek, and the whole meat argument began again. Finally, they decided on getting a combination of all types of Chinese, plenty of extra rice and soy sauce for Beast Boy.

As usual, Wu Fong's service was right on time, as the delivery boy arrived by boat, holding the bags of food, still piping hot. The Titan's had an exquisite meal, getting a little heated when they began to run low, Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg all fighting for the last remnants of rice, and Egg Foo Young. However, why they were brawling, Raven took up the bowl, and split it with Starfire. By the time the three realized that the food had been taken, it was already gone. So, ended their meal, too full to eat another bite. As Cyborg was rooting through the bottoms of the sacks, hoping a few grains of rice may have eluded them, he came across one last container.

Inside were five little cellophane packages, each housing a fortune cookie. Grabbing all five, Cyborg waved them at the others.

"Hey y'all, we gotta eat the cookies too! Then we get our fortune!" he passed them around. All five of them ripped off the plastic wrap, broke the cookie open, removed the fortune, and then ate the sweet shell. Once finished, Robin picked up the small scrap of paper which he had removed from the cookie. He read it…and at first he didn't believe he was seeing what he was actually seeing. He shook his head and then looked closer. The mysterious writing that was printed on the paper was definitely not normal.

"Look at this," he said getting the others attention. "What do you make of this?" He put the fortune flat on the table, allowing the rest to take a look. Indeed, this fortune was far from ordinary. In tiny script, it had only a few simple words. _"Greetings again Titan's, I trust your dinner was to your liking?"_ No one had any idea at all what that meant. Before they could conclude that it might have been a joke fortune put especially into a cookie by the staff at Wu Fong's place, Beast Boy checked his own fortune, and squeaked, "Dudes, take a look at mine!" The second fortune was even more perplexing than the first, however it did point to an obvious source.

"_It has been nearly a month, yes? I'm sure you've all been thinking about me, because I __**know**__ I've been thinking about you."_ That pretty much spelled it out. They all knew the answer, but it was Robin who said actually said it.

"Raze. He's back." Raven unfolded the piece of paper from her cookie, and put it on the table. _"I trust you wish to see me, right? Well, I've taken the liberty of giving you an exact time, and place. I do hope you will be punctual."_ Seeing where this was eventually headed, Cyborg's was next_. "In fact…I __**know**__ you will be."_ Following the message, it then gave a string of numbers, which became apparent to be a set of coordinates, both latitude and longitude. When imputed into the computer, it pointed to a spot within the forest that lay to the north of the City.

And finally, Starfire's "fortune" was laid out. This one had no words, but it did hold another set of numbers. A date and time. As it was, it was that very day, while the time said eight o'clock p.m. It was currently seven o' five p.m. After gathering all the info, Robin turned to everyone. "Okay, team, we knew this was going to happen eventually. When we see him, we need to attack in the same way as we planned. Remember he's fast, and I have a feeling he will have some new powers to throw at us. So stay alert. Let's go!"

_Later outside the City…_

The Titan's reached foothills of the woods with plenty of time to spare. A mighty forest, filled with thick pine trees, obscuring ones vision. These woods were north of the city, perched atop a massive slope. Not exactly mountains, but it was a bit more than a hill. Looking back down into the vast lights of the city, it definitely seemed like you were high up, nearly touching the sky.

From their position, The Titan's could see, deep within the trees, a thin line of grayish smoke. The sun was close to setting, throwing a purple haze over everything, so visibility was falling fast. However, once they got a lock on the smoke plume, they followed that, staying down, as they coasted up the hillsides. They not only covered ground quickly, but stealthily as well, in hopes to get the drop on their foe. Robin was quietly jumping from one tree branch to the next like a ninja; Beast Boy was right under him as a monkey, swinging from the same branches. Starfire carried Cyborg through the thick brush, and Raven was flying beside her, barely making a sound.

Once they got close, they all landed, and as a group began to approach the area. They walked a little ways, the giant trees creaking and groaning in the breeze. They spotted a very small clearing, a patch of cleared ground, completely surrounded by foliage not too far ahead. In the very center, a modest sized campfire was flickering, it being the source of the smoke. Besides the fire, which was surrounded carefully by small stones, there was a single large fallen log, and a big rock. Next to the rock, was a small bright red knapsack, half-heartedly concealed under some dirt and leaves. Other than that, there was nothing, no trace of any human presence. Not wanting to trigger a trap or something, they sat tight, watching to see if anyone would appear. No one did. Finally, Cyborg scooted over to where Robin was crouching.

"Psst," he whispered, "He isn't here. This might be a trick or something to lure us out." Robin studied the situation.

"Maybe," he whispered back, "but I don't think he would need to trap us. Besides, we're early. We were supposed to be here at eight. What time is it now?" Each Titan checked their wrist, seeing that none of them had a watch. Right beside Robin, an arm covered in black leather extended a silver pocket watch, the numbers and watch hands glowing in the dark.

"Here," came a strong voice, "you can use mine." Robin was about to say thanks, before he realized what was happening. He, and the rest of the Titan's leapt backward, startled to no end. They landed on the soft ground, weapons out and energies ready, prepared for battle. However, their adversary didn't seem to be as eager to leap into a fight. There he was, still kneeling on the ground, dressed in the same outfit as before. Black shirt, black jeans, black leather trench coat, silver jewelry, as well as black boots, and gloves. Raze. And he was grinning. And he laughed.

"Twenty minutes early," his voice now lacked the ominous and conniving quality from before. Instead, it sounded warm, perhaps even cheery. "I knew you all would be punctual, but by twenty minutes? Such a grand margin! You do continue to surprise me." He stood, brushing off his clothes, sending a heap of leaves flying around him. "Although, I must admit, your skills in sneakiness leave something to be desired. You not only failed to sneak up on me, but I was easily able to sneak up on you. Oh well, not everything can be one hundred percent I suppose."

He seemed completely unaware of the threatening stances of the Titan's, on the verge of attacking. At last, he looked at them, and studied them for a minute. Then he waved a hand.

"Oh, _do_ knock that off," he said in exasperated tone. "I hardly think this situation calls for such brutality. Besides, I didn't summon you all to fight again." He turned, considering the manner closed, and walked into the clearing beyond. As he strode into the firelight, all the Titan's looked at Robin, who was also poised to strike. Finally, after several moments of deliberation, he lowered the Birdarangs in his hands, and little by little entered the clearing as well. Raze strolled over to the stone bolder, and after making a flourish with his trench coat, he sat down. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the Titan's had followed, watching him, ready to strike at the first sign of an attack. He gestured towards the fallen log across the fire.

"Please, sit," he instructed, "There is much to discuss." They eased around him, staying out of his range, and they all sat on top of the log.

What followed was an awkward silence, the two sides not saying anything, the Titan's still sending mistrusting looks towards Raze. He meanwhile, had thrown one leg over the other, and removed his shades, stowing them in a pocket of his jacket. Finally, probably unable to tolerate the stand off any further, Raze reached down to the red knapsack at his feet. At the movement, the Titan's sprung like a mousetrap, all lunging at him. Before they got anywhere near him, he had vanished, winking out of existence. They stopped and went back to back, waiting for the counterattack. It never came, but the imposing voice of Raze did speak from the trees.

"I see you _still_ harbor a grudge about our last encounter," he commented with a chuckle, "I suppose it is to be expected. No one likes to be defeated and humiliated. A humbling experience to be sure, but before you go and pin all your blame on me, remember that your defeat was your own doing." His voice was echoing, not coming from a fixed location. It seemed to emanate from the air itself, above, all around, even under their feet. Robin pointed out into the darkness, not entirely sure he was pointing at him.

"What do you mean it's our fault?" he yelled, "You're the one who recklessly blew up part of the City, and it was our job to stop you! We wouldn't have needed to fight you if you had never shown up!" A tittering laugh came from everywhere.

"Ah, but you see Sparky, that's not entirely true! While I did indeed blow apart a small section of your oh so precious city, it was _your_ choice to engage me in battle. If you recall, I repeatedly recommended against it, and if you will _also_ remember that you are the headstrong and brash youths that seem to enjoy combat so very much. Such as this situation right here, come to think of it! You launched an unprovoked attack, which resulted in me having to vanish from your sight. Now, if you would be so kind as to return to your seats, we can continue our "heated" discussion, yes?"

In a sulking manner, the Titan's returned to the fallen log and sat, still looking around for a sign of Raze.

"Better," he said, his voice now whispering into their ears from behind. They all whirled around, and there he was again, crouching behind them, red sack strapped to his shoulder. Once again, they leapt to their feet, but he put up a hand. "As I said before, I didn't call you up here to fight. My, you all are certainly jumpy this evening. Must be all that Soy sauce or something…" He gestured to the fallen tree, and the Titan's sat, their eyes following Raze as he came strolling out from behind them, retaking his own seat atop the stone.

Once settled, he began to dump out various items from his pack. Out came dozens of graham crackers, bar after bar of a variety of different types of chocolate, and a huge plastic bag of marshmallows. In addition, six very long sticks, perhaps four feet long each, came out of the small backpack. After that, he pulled out a small boom box, and put it down beside him. Ever weirder, out came several more long chunks of fire wood, which he hurled on the fire. Noticing the Titan's stares due to the numerous large items he was retrieving from the small bag, he pointed to it, and gave them a wink.

"Dimensional bag. Near limitless holding capacity. You could easily carry around everything you own with this." He put the bag aside, and offered five of the six sticks to the Titan's. Robin took them, and handed them to the others. Raze began to tear open the bags of goodies, pushing a button on the boom box, which wasn't even plugged in, and from the speakers came a rock and roll tune. He then began to roast a marshmallow over the glowing fire. It took only a moment to put together a s'more, but before he could eat it, he noticed that he was getting cold stares from across the toasty fire.

"What?" he asked, cocking his head to the side, "Are you waiting for an invitation or what?" He extended a hand, offering the sweets. No one moved. Raze heaved a sigh, and sat back. "Okay," said he, crossing his arms, his s'more hovering in the air beside him. His voice was thick with sarcasm and mockery. "I'm sensing a lot of "bad vibes" here. Now call me crazy, but I'm getting a sneaking suspicion that you all don't like me very much, yes? I'm trying to be friendly here, being the nice guy, and all I get in return is icicle stares from you all. Perhaps you'd care to explain your frosty disposition, lest you ruin my appetite?"

"Don't play dumb," snapped Robin, obviously not in the mood for niceties. "You went on a crazed rampage, and destroyed things for no good reason. And now, you're asking why we dislike you?"

"I seem to remember," said Raze thoughtfully, tapping a finger on his chin, and gazing up at the clear evening sky, "as I was rooting through your minds on our last encounter, that you all came across two brothers by the name of Thunder and Lightning before. I trust you recall them, yes? To them, "fun" was defined by destruction and mayhem. And if I'm correct, even after the mess they caused, you didn't and in fact, still don't, harbor any ill will against them. And furthermore, they didn't even help in cleaning up the messes they themselves caused, except for summoning the rain that put a stop to the Giant Flame being. I may have caused damage, but at least_ I_ lent a hand in the reconstruction process."

Now that was something the Titan's hadn't expected him to say. Beast Boy leaned forward, his eyes breaking away every moment or two to glance down at the s'more ingredients. "What are you talking about? You just blew stuff up! I didn't see you fixin' anything!" Raze laughed, then took hold of his floating desert, then took a bite.

"True enough," he agreed, licking his fingers clean of melted chocolate and marshmallow. "You didn't _see_ me, but that doesn't mean I wasn't there. I mean, honestly, wouldn't it have seemed a bit strange for the very guy who wrecked stuff to be giving a hand to repair it? That wouldn't fit my character. So naturally, I had to do things undercover, in a disguise. I suppose it was so wonderful a camouflage that no one really noticed me."

Not believing him, Cyborg asked, "All right, then why don't you tell us what you did fix while you were "undercover"?" Raze grinned.

"Ah, I was truly hoping you would ask me that. Before I answer though, I would like to ask you all something." He leaned forward, giving them a mischievous smile. "How is Central doing, hmm? Is it back to normal? Back in the green and all that?" Raven answered.

"Everything looks as if you hadn't ever been there. All the buildings are fixed, the plants have re-grown. Your attack was totally pointless, not leaving any lasting damage." Raze gave a low laugh, smiling and pulled back, finished his s'more, and then began fishing around, beginning to make another.

"Good to hear. However, while I believe what you say about the buildings, I'm afraid I don't buy your story about the injuries I inflicted into the Gateway and park. Let me ask you, do any of you have a P.H.D in Botany?" All the Titan's shook their heads. "I didn't think so. So, you have no idea what happens when most types of trees are burned to such a point?"

"Ha," broke in Cyborg, "We got your answer there! The trees bark and leaves are gone, and it can't produce its food. If it's fed, it'll come back in a few weeks." Raze stared back at him, studying him carefully. Then, he threw back his head, and began howling at the sky, his laugh echoing throughout the trees.

Once he finally got control of himself, he wiped a tear from his eye, and then asked, "Where in the world did you hear such garbage? I've never heard such a ridiculous claim in all my life." His face grew colder, still having a sinister smile on his face. "When a tree suffers from extreme burns, it's dehydrated, yes, but it suffers from a severe shock, which breaks control over the various functions. The tree withers, it wanes, and then…" Raze craned his neck forward, and in a very scary whisper, "it dies." He leaned back, letting the truth sink in. "So now," he said smugly, "You see why there is _no_ way for the trees in the park to be alive at this point, unless the lifeless trunks were dug out, and replaced with new trees. It is a fact I'm sure you are all aware of, that it is impossible for humans to bring back to life what was once dead. A law of life, I'm afraid."

"That cannot be true," cried Starfire, leaping up. "We were told by the tree expert that the trees live because he saved them! I do not believe your evil lies!" Raze's smile softened, and he shook his head.

"Dear girl," he said gently, "I do not lie, and that is another of my characteristics, albeit a strange one considering my…profession. Whoever this tree guy was, he was an idiot, and not having the faintest idea of what he was talking about. I however, am a different story." Robin took Starfire's arm, and sat her back down. Then, he crossed his arms, and said, "We don't believe you."

Raze nodded. "I didn't think you would," he said quietly. Very slowly, he stood, stretching his back. He then began to casually walk over to the nearest tree. He leaned up against it. "However, if you won't believe me," as he spoke, he stepped behind the tree for but a moment. When he reemerged, all five Titan's jumped; their eyes opened wide, a look of horror on their faces. "Then perhaps, you'd better let me explain it." The figure who came stepping out from behind the tree was _not_ Raze, but a young collage student, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, with a grinning tree embroidered on the back. The person walked towards them, and in the light of the fire, it was none other than Buddy Kovak. He grinned at them, waving his hand.

"Good to see y'all again," he said in his cheerful tone. He sat down on the rock, and studied the Titan's dumbfounded faces. "Well, first I'd like to apologize for last month," he ran his hand through his hair. "But I guess I goofed on my research. Turn's out that oak trees aren't nearly as resilient as I thought. The ones in the park died, and even though I tried, there was no way I could bring them back. Sorry." And if the discovery of Buddy Kovak's true identity wasn't terrifying enough, what happened next was even more upsetting. His body began to shift, colors blurring, features contorting. His hair turned into spiny silver, his orange suit turned to black, and in less than ten seconds, Raze was once again sitting on the rock, a shadowy smile on his face, as he observed their aghast faces. Due to the fire, and the lack of light, he seemed even more ominous than before.

"Unsettling isn't it?" asked Raze, looking from Titan to Titan. "The person who you were talking to, even shaking hands with, was none other than _me_…the whole time. The villain you had fought not less than seven days ago. I _did_ say I would be watching you remember? I guess you never realized how serious I was about that." The first to speak was Raven, her voice quivering ever so slightly.

"But how do we know that you were him then? That might have been the real guy, and you just impersonated him right now."

"Ah, how right you are Raven. Yes, I could very easily be changing my form to confuse and baffle you all, but rest assured that I have come bearing more proof than a simple trick." So saying, he reached inside of his leather trench coat's pocket, and carefully pulled out a simple black cloth wrapped into a bundle. Undoing it, he lifted an object, an object that all the Titan's recognized. It was the round black stone, with the marking in the side that Starfire had given Buddy before they left.

"A lucky Tamaranian moon stone, if my memory serves," he said. He leaned over the fire, offering the stone to Starfire. "Here, while I do really appreciate it, I have little use for a luck stone. I think it will be better put to use in your possession." Starfire tentatively reached out, and took hold of the rock, her face completely petrified. Raze settled back, casting an eye towards Raven, who looked ready to say something.

"Yes, I know what's coming, my dear. You were going to suggest that I could have easily stolen that from the "real" Buddy, and then shown it to you here, to be the "proof of the pudding" as they say. You may have a point, but I will say this." He stretched his legs, settling in, trying to get more comfortable on his rock chair. "While I may not be a saint in the world, I really don't think that I would be so low as to stoop to petty muggary. That is totally devoid of any and all style. Don't you think so?" No one continued to argue, but Robin did ask another interesting question.

"If that really was _you_ instead of Kovak, and if those trees _really_ were dead, then how do you explain them being alive again? Didn't you say it was impossible for something that is dead to be brought back to life?" Raze thought back, going over his own words.

"Ah, but I said no _human_ could do that. But then, I am no mere human, now am I? No doubt you have seen for yourself that while I may _seem_ human, I am far much more. Meaning, bringing a tree back from the dead is no problem for me. But there are issues to discuss. I am a villain, with plans of future designs in mind, and that is why I've called you here." That got Robin's attention, and he had to exercise great restraint not to snatch up a Birdarang.

"What are you after, tell me that much at least! And what is all this?" Raze looked up at him, with a coy eye.

"Well, as for my agenda, I'm afraid that's something you will have to live without knowing. And as for this little get-together, it is nothing more than a meeting place, to give you all a little chance to relax before your lives are hurled into a vortex of complications. For instance, you still want to fight me, yes?" He looked each Titan in the eye. "You needn't deny it. All of you have a disliking of me, that much is written all over your faces, and you all relish the chance to try and even the score between us. I see it in your eyes, and feel it in your hearts. There is little you can conceal from me."

"So you want to fight," growled Robin threw gritted teeth. He pulled out several Birdarangs, while the others stood at the ready. "Fine, let's fight! Here and now! I want to stop you here for good!" Raze snigger from behind his hand.

"Oh don't be ludicrous. You know as well as I that you are in no position to face me. Especially here. I would tear you all apart before you even realized what was happening. You couldn't _possibly_ be ready to face me again." He pointed to the log once more. "Sit."

"What's that suppose to mean?" questioned Cyborg.

"Quite simple. It was but a month ago when we first fought, and you all couldn't even lay a finger on me. Not to put too fine a point of something so very obvious, but I thrashed the lot of you, and very badly at that. Do you honestly think you have improved yourselves by such a margin in this last month, that you could do any better? A few simple strategies is not going to get you anywhere against me. I mean, you couldn't even sense my aura when you were standing right beside me in the park. Me, the one who defeated you less than a week before. You couldn't even tell that that was me. And you think you are prepared to face me _now_? Please. Don't be in such a rush to embarrass yourselves again. I personally don't see your interest in wanting to fight, but you all seem so very intent on trying to best me, so I guess I'll play along."

"I don't care how strong you are," yelled Robin, "or how little we have improved since last time! We are now more determined to beat you now, and we have a better understanding of who we're dealing with! You won't win this time!" Raze simply clapped his hands, very slowly, once, twice, and three times.

"Hurrah Robin, you are inspiring everyone here, filling their heads with thoughts of heroics. But while you banter is full of bravado; you know you can't back it up. Courage, bravery, and righteous valor will only get you so far before it gets you dead. But then, I wasn't purposing we fight here and now. However," he paused looking at the now starry sky. "I must admit, that I _do_ like having a blackened atmosphere. It adds a little flavor to the battlefield." He stood, and pointed to the Titan's. "Very well. I will give you one week. Do whatever it takes to increase your strength. Work out, meditate, upgrade, strategize, whatever. And once that week is up…I'll be coming back. I trust you will then be able to provide me with a better challenge than before. How does that sound?"

He paused, and began packing all the stuff he had pulled from his bag earlier back into his sack. "Here is the deal. During this week, to ensure you get the most out of your training, _I_ will protect your precious city. Should a criminal attack, I will arrest him, or whatever it is that you do with them. In the meantime, you all must prepare yourselves. I don't want anything to divert your attention from your goals. And as a piece of advice, I would recommend that you concentrate on your weaknesses first and foremost." He finished with his task and stood, sticking out his hand.

"I hope you understand though," he continued, lifting his eyes, "that if you want to try and protect the city yourselves, you _can't_ beat me. You won't have enough time to become stronger if you are sidetracked with you normal routines. Is this agreeable?" Robin put up his weapons, and stepped around the fire. Raze was about five inches taller than Robin, but his weight and strength made him seem almost three times as big. His hands alone nearly enveloped Robin's smaller gloved hands. They shook, a firm handshake.

"I'll agree to this," said Robin, "Just because I want to bring you down."

"Very good," said Raze, with a devious smile. "I will return by the weeks end. I expect a great deal of improvement." He picked up the red knapsack, and stuffed it into his coat. He pulled out his dark sunglasses, and slipped them on, even though it was dark. He started off, but twisted his neck around.

"By the way, I certainly hope you will be more observant of your surrounding from now on. If I can sneak up on you all so very easily, or even place messages in your food, then just think of all the possibilities of damage and chaos that I could sow, should I so want to. Try and keep heads up, alright?" As he talked his body seemed to be growing transparent, wispy, like smoke. In a moment, he was nothing but a trail of vapors, rising into the blackened sky, being blown away by the wind.

"I'll be in touch," called his echoing voice, and then…he was gone.


	5. Round Two: Fight!

**Chapter 5: **Round Two, Fight!

After Raze's departure, everything in the camp site vanished. The fire sputtered and winked out, the fallen log and rock sinking into the ground. In a few moments, the Titan's were simply sitting in a regular clearing. Not seeing any reason to stay, they left the forest, returning to their Tower, each in a state of deep thought. They were all replaying what Raze had said in a nutshell. "You have one week. Train yourselves, and increase your strength. Otherwise there is no way for you to conquer me." It was a menacing point, one that no one could ignore.

"You know," said Cyborg, as they were leaving the forest, "He did have a good point. We are the same as a month ago, and I'm sure he hasn't gotten any weaker since then. If we want to beat him, we need to get better."

"But how do we become better?" asked Starfire, "And what did he mean by weaknesses? Is he attempting to unsettle us?" Robin shook his head. "No, he was saying that if we want to beat him, we need to find out what our biggest handicaps were in the last fight, and then try to fix them."

"But what about leaving the City in his hands?" asked Cyborg. They had by this time emerged from the thick trees, and gazed down on the glittering city. Cyborg cast an arm down at the sight. "Are we really going to trust him to look after it while we are doing whatever it is we are going to be doing? What if he was lying and everything goes nuts? What if Slade comes along again? Are we going to let that dude take him out?" Robin was hesitant to answer, knowing that if Slade did decide to strike, he would almost instinctively go after him. Raven responded for him.

"All I know is, considering what happened last time; we are going to probably need every second in the week to increase ourselves enough to beat him. And I think he was right, that if we don't concentrate fully on this, we won't be able to beat him. If Slade does make a move, we're going to have to decide who is a bigger threat." No one could really say what the outcome would be, so without any more deliberation, they returned home. Once back in their living room, Robin clicked on the monitor. It was once again replaying the images of their first encounter with Raze, moving at all different rates, some ultra slow so they could try and observe his blinding speed.

"I think it's fair to say," said Robin, addressing his team, "That Raze's greatest advantage is his speed. He gets behind us, and strikes, which makes him hard to fight back against."

"And when he does," said Cyborg, pausing on an image of his armor being dented by a fearsome punch, "he's even stronger than me or Star, which means when he hits you, its gonna hurt."

"Not only that," added Raven, "He is an incredible telepath, meaning I don't think its out of the realm of possibly for him to read our minds, and predict our moves. Knowing where we are, and what we are going to do is a pretty big weakness to overcome." She glanced to her right at Beast Boy, who was busy picking something out of his ear. "At least he's safe," she added, rolling her eyes." Beast Boy looked over at her, a confused expression on his face. He glanced down to his fingers, where there was a generous amount of earwax build up. He gave them a sheepish grin, and then wiped it off.

"And what about his other attack," questioned Starfire, gesturing to a screen showing an image of her after being struck by lightning. "He seems to be able to use these powers as he wishes, just like me."

"These are all good points," continued Robin, "But the problem is we can't be ready to get around them all in the week. We need to determine _his _greatest disadvantage, and try to exploit it." Cyborg shook his head sadly.

"We've been over this man, and there was nothing that we could see that would qualify as a "weakness" for this guy. He acted almost invulnerable." Robin snapped his fingers.

"That may be what his weakness is. He was so confident last time, thinking that no one could ever beat him. His view of his opponent is a big disadvantage for him. Maybe we find someway to take advantage of that. In the meantime, I want all of you to be ready for combat practice tomorrow. And we can't be taking it easy now. We need to be serious if we are to get stronger."

_Later in the week…_

In the course of the week, all five Titan's pushed themselves to their limits, and then even further beyond. Robin stayed in the gym, working out everyday, practicing his martial arts styles, and upgrading his equipment. His obsession with finding out what the villain Slade was up to had kept him motivated in the past. He now used that drive to push him to stop this new enemy, Raze. This desire to stop both of these criminals was more than enough to keep him together, forcing himself to push forward, never giving himself a break. Cyborg came and went during this time too, exercising alongside Robin, sparring with him once in a while. But most of his time was spent in garage, tinkering with his own mechanical body, adding upgrades to his processors, performance enhancers, tuning his joints, and reinforcing his armor.

Starfire spent a lot of her time on the obstacle course, brushing up on her target practice, trying to increase the power in her Starbolts. Not only that, she began to aim more carefully, until she was able to take out each target with one shot. Beast Boy worked out as well, but he was more focused on his abilities to change. He exercised his powers to the limits, changing into new forms, and trying to change from one animal to another faster. And Raven spent most of her training time in her room, in a deep state of meditation. She was determined to increase her own powers to be able to go head to head against Raze.

It was during the fourth day into the week, and all of the Titan's were exhausted due their constant exercises and preparations. They were watching some well-earned TV when a breaking news story flashed up. The reporter behind the desk was talking about the break-in of a computer company, and that the criminal responsible had been apprehended by an unknown party.

"I guess that means he's holdin' up his end of his bargain," said Cyborg, who promptly turned up the volume, and they all listened. Apparently, Gizmo, the tiny technical guru had broken into the buildings vault to not only steal the company's liquid assets, but to take possession of any and all new technology present. It wasn't clear at how he was captured, but it was assumed the Teen Titan's were the heroes. And then, it showed a clip of videotape caught by a surveillance camera. Gizmo was walking from the vault on his robotic spider-legs, holding handfuls of money. Then, it appeared that the two legs on his right side were severed as he crashed to the ground in heap. Before he could get to his feet, a dark shape came swooping in, and whisked him out of the camera's view. Robin shut off the TV and then threw aside the remote.

"I hate this," he shouted angrily. "He's acting like a hero! He's nothing but another criminal and we should be the ones out there."

"Yeah," interrupted Beast Boy, "But at least he's doin' what he said. And when we fight again, we capture him, and that's the end of it." No one was sure if that was how it was going to turn out, but they didn't speak any further about the upcoming fight. For the rest of the night, they reviewed their own tactics, putting together ideas that they could use to combat Raze. In the midst of these plans, their computer system beeped, reporting an incoming transmission. Checking it, Cyborg turned back to the others, with a grim expression.

"It's Slade." And indeed it was, for on the overhead screen, he flashed into view, the mysterious villain.

"Well, hello again Titan's," he said smugly. "I see you are up late. Burning the midnight oil?" Robin wasn't in any mood to listen to chatter, so he bluntly and yet demandingly yelled back, "Slade, what do you want?"

"What do I want Robin? That's what you have been trying to figure out isn't it? And despite everything that has happened between us, you are still in the dark. Disappointing. I thought you were smarter than that. Well, I guess I'll have to tell you then." The screen cut away to a large ship, almost like a tanker. On the deck of the ship was a huge metal cannon, generating a red glow. Crawling around the boat, working on the device was dozens of Slade's robotic minions. It once more cut back to mastermind. It was a good bet that he was smirking behind his mask. "As you can see, my little toy is readying itself to fire. The result of it will be greater than anything you can possibly image. And as for the intended target, well let's just say that's a secret." Robin was gripping a chair, his hands clenching tighter and tighter, trying to decide on what to do.

"Uh, excuse me," said Beast Boy, stepping past him, rubbing his head. "This really isn't the best time for this, you know? We're in the middle of trying to figure out how to beat this other bad guy. So could we maybe postpone this until after we're done, or something?" From on the other end, Slade's eye narrowed.

"What's this Robin? Is there someone else taking my place as your most wanted criminal? I'm crushed. No, I'm afraid that this will no wait, and actually, this works in even better. A difficult choice that you are forced to make. Do you stop me, or do you concentrate on this other villain, leaving your city to its fate?"

Robin was about to break, and the smug look from Slade's masked face was nearly more than he could stand.

"Tick Tock Titan's. You'd better choose, before devastation rains down on…" Before he himself knew what hit him, a blast of intense light flashed across the screen, and with a surprised grunt, Slade was thrown out of view. All the Titan's watched anxiously, and after a few moments, Raze strode in from the shadows. He glanced towards the camera, and pulled down his shades.

"Shouldn't you be getting yourselves ready, instead of listening to this moron's hollow threats?" Without another word to the Titan's, Raze turned his gaze to Slade, who was off screen, probably picking himself up off the ground. "Okay Tinman, lets have chat, you and I." Raze walked back into the darkness, and just before the transmission cut off, the Titan's could see Slade, as he was being thrown through the air, crashing into a metal support beam, significantly denting it.

Seeing his most hated enemy being defeated by his second most hated enemy was too much for Robin. He slammed his fists down on the nearest computer terminal, and let out a frustrated scream. From under his fists, the console began to smoke and crackle. Robin looked up and calmly walked out, making a beeline back to the gym. Everyone knew when to leave him alone, and the other four Titan's also left to resume their own training.

_By weeks end…_

The week came to a close on the seventh day. The Titan's spent the majority of that day, resting up, conserving their energies, knowing that the time was drawing near. They had done all they could, pushing their bodies and minds to their limits, formulating tactics, and preparing themselves mentally for the daunting obstacle that was before them. It was evening, and all five of them were sitting around the living room. There was electricity in the air, everyone was on edge. While they went around doing their normal activities, they were much more jumpy than usual.

At around nine o'clock, a small beep indicated the computer had a new message. Checking the transmission, all it said was another string of mysterious numbers. This time, when imputing the coordinates on the map, it marked a location that was in the middle of the ocean. There was no indication of an island, but small landmasses were not uncommon out there. It also had the date and the time. Midnight. And underneath that, was a tiny script, which had to be magnified several times before anyone could read it. It said, _"Don't come early."_

So for the rest of the time, they readied anyway they could. Robin ran threw his warm up exercises, testing all his equipment, and practiced all his best martial art techniques. Cyborg ran numerous diagnostics over his systems, charged himself to full power, and even buffed his shining armor. Beast Boy was sitting next to Raven, mocking her state of meditation. As he did so, he kept morphing from one to form to another, staying in the same position. Starfire kept relatively still, concentrating on remembering how to utilize her Starbolts best.

And Raven, ignoring Beast Boy, levitated, meditated, focusing and channeling her powers. They didn't talk much. There was really no need. Everything that needed to be said had already been said. It was the calm before the storm. Then at last, half an hour from midnight, all the Titan's assembled in the hanger, where Cyborg had finished prepping the T-Ship for launch. The designated area was quite a ways off, and it would have been to physically taxing to fly. "Okay," said Robin, addressing everyone. "This is it. Remember our plans. I just hope this week will be enough." Cyborg laid a hand on Robin's shoulder. "It'll be enough. Come on, we need to move out if we're gonna get there by midnight." They climbed aboard, and the T-Ship blasted from its launch pad, and went streaking over the water.

It took about twenty minuets, and the whole journey was rather unsettling. They flew in the darkness, over the black water. There was only a tiny sliver of moon and the stars above were dull and muted, not generating a significant amount of light. Flying through that blackness, it gave all the Titan's a very weirded-out feeling, almost as if they had left the Earth behind them. As they came to the coordinates, it was difficult to see anything, even with the T-Ships powerful search beams. Finally, it spotted a tiny flicker of light, which came from an island. It was larger than any of the Titan's had predicted. It was surprising that it didn't appear on any maps.

Circling above, the light, which had been only a slight twinkle, grew brighter, until the entire island was exposed to a fair amount of light. And what an extraordinary island it was! The entire northern coast was jagged cliffs and drops, a very uneven craggy area. The southern section looked to be flooded, like marshlands, complete with weeds and bogs. The western point housed a dense forest, thick trees blanketing a large portion. And on the side to the east, there was a flat area, an earthen arena having been constructed there. And standing in the center of the flat expanse, stood a lone figure, cloaked in shadows. After getting a landing vector, the T-Ship touched down, and the five Titan's leapt from their cockpits. It was a nostalgic feeling, looking like an old western movie. There they stood, proudly, in the faint light. Raze, had his back to them, his head down, the tail of his trench coat flapping in the wind.

"Raze," yelled Robin. His voice echoed over the island. The silence settled, as the wind moaned around them. Raze didn't turn, but his head did rise up, as he stared at the sky.

"Midnight. Right on time." He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and kicked up a plume of dust with the heels of his boots. "Thank you for coming. I know what you must have gone through to be standing here now." Only wanting to know one thing, Robin broke in.

"What happened to Slade?" Raze only laughed in response, a heavy and sinister sound. He lifted from an inner pocket of his trench coat, an object cloaked in darkness. Without turning, he threw it over his shoulder. Robin reached out and grabbed hold of it. It was something he was all too familiar with. It was a mask, cracked, dented, and burned, but its shape and color was unmistakable. The left half was orange, with a single eye hole, while the right side was totally black. The mask of Slade. Staring down at the broken image of his arch nemesis, Robin looked back up at Raze and then demanded, "Where is he? What did you do with him?"

"Come now, Robin," said Raze with an obviously aggravated tone. "You are standing here and now before _me_, and you are worried about your precious Slade? You test my patience, having more of a one track mind than I even dreamed possible! If you can not focus on _me_ this evening, then I suggest you get back on your little ship, and go home. I am in no mood to deal with pouting children!" Robin held the broken mask of his enemy, looking deep into the vacant eyehole staring back at him, and then threw it aside.

"This ends tonight."

"Perhaps, and perhaps not, little Robin," responded Raze, and lifted his sunglasses off his face. "That depends on you all, now doesn't it? _If_ you are ready to be serious, then we can proceed. But I suppose the real million dollar question is…" He stopped, pausing, dragging out whatever he was going to say next. "Are you prepared to stare oblivion in the face?"

Raze at last turned, in that peculiar way of his, lifting one foot, pivoting on the heel of the other, and studied them. His red eyes glowed in the dark, like two small rubies. Then, they vanished, as a piercing white light began pouring from his eyes, sweeping the Titan's like two thick searchlights. When the scarlet eyes returned, he grinned.

"I can feel your energy," he commented. "You are all different from the last time." He came towards them, scrutinizing them closely. "Yes, yes very much so. Your psychic energies are all much more focused, more determined, more willing. Your feelings are simply radiating off of you." He stopped only ten feet away, and twisted his neck, cracking the bone beneath. "You have been waiting for this moment, I take it. You want to fight as much as I. That's good; the thoughts of battle have made you stronger. Mayhaps this won't be a waste of my time after all."

"We've played your little game," shouted Robin, "Now, I want to know what you are up to!" Raze didn't answer, but instead threw his head back, and began to laugh like there was no tomorrow. It was a truly chilling sound, his deep thundering laugh, washing over everything, rolling over the ocean and beyond.

"Does a person like me really _need_ to have a scheme?" he asked. "I find it very stereotypical for a villain to have a master plan, orchestrating every aspect of the hero's lives just to bend them to my twisted will?" He took a few more steps, very slowly, a disturbing grin of his face. "Such things are useless when one wields the power that I do." He was less than five feet away from the five Titan's. "Very well Robin, you asked me what I am plotting, and I might as well give up that at the very least. Are you ready for the most shocking revelation of your lives?" The Titan's braced themselves, steeling themselves for the plans of destruction and terror that this devious mastermind was concocting.

"I have…_no plan_. That is my plan." All five Titan's heard him, and then collapsed in a heap. Raze rolled his eyes. "Oh please, there is no need for such theatrics. Is that really so preposterous to believe? I act on my whims and my instincts. I don't need some overly elaborated plan to accomplish something mundane and simple. You are overanalyzing everything Sparky." Robin sat up.

"Then why did you blow up Central? What was your motivation?" Raze shrugged, and began to pick his teeth in a bored way. He started to stroll around in circles.

"I can't really say. As I said, I go with the flow. I suppose, if I was forced to ponder the matter, and seek out the deep philosophical answer that you crave, then I suppose I _could_ tell you, but then…I would have to give you this whole spiel of exactly _who_ I am, and _where_ it is I come from. And I know none of you _really_ want to know that." His voice was filled with sarcasm, but before the Titan's could speak, he whirled to face them, and pointed a single finger up into the black sky.

"But enough of that," he cried in a dramatic tone, "I'll get to the point! Your purpose for coming was not to speak of trifle matters, but to do battle with me in a titanic struggle vs. good and evil! Although, I must confess," he broke out of his thespian style of talking, eyeing them with a sly grin. "I had no _real_ intention of actually fighting you all this time round." Robin jumped forward.

"What do you mean," he yelled, his voice having a hint of panic. "Then why did you have us become stronger." Raze lifted a hand, a gesture that called for silence.

"If you will calm yourself, little Robin, then I shall tell."

"In actuality," began Raze, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "After our first battle, no matter how much fun I found it, the fact was, you all were not any threat to me, and engaging in combat with you ever again, for any reason, would really just be meaningless. But after a little time passed, and I watched you all, I got the feeling that maybe you could be pushed to a higher level of awareness. So, I took it upon myself, almost for sport really, to see what I could shape you into. Therefore, it was a week ago today that I sent you those messages, via fortune cookie, and in the woods I outlined my little deal. You eagerly accepted…" he paused, getting a kick out of the stunned look crossing Robin's face.

"Don't bother denying it Robin. You wanted to bring me down so badly, you would have done nearly anything you could to have that come about. I told you once before…I know everything you know. Anyway, I sent you on your merry little way, with intentions of measuring your progress at our next meeting. I was telling myself, "What could they possibly accomplish within the space of a measly week?" You would be the same bunch of weakling that I had thrashed before, with the exception of a new trick or two. But now," he stopped, and cast an arm at the Titan's.

"_Look_ at what you have become. Vitality and vigor is burning within you, your courage driving you, your determination fueling you. The thought of battle and victory has pushed you all to unprecedented heights!" he began to laugh, a cold sound, as he allowed the unsettling truth to sink in. All the Titan's realized, they had been the "real" plan, an experiment for this twisted madman's amusement.

"Now that I see how much more ready you are," Raze ran a hand threw his hair, the spikes wavering then returning to their original position. "It is apparent that I _must_ fight you. Oh, this is positively invigorating! It has been countless years since I've felt like this!" Raze smirked at them, still seeing the outraged looks on their faces.

"Oh, stop with those glares. You act as if I've done something terrible to you. I've helped you to become more powerful than ever before, allowing you to do battle with even more ease against your enemies. In reality, you should all be _thanking_ me." Robin was beside himself with anger, and letting his rage take control, he grabbed a handful of his disk bombs, and hurled the lot of them at Raze, screaming in fury. He must have forgotten that Raze could easily take hold of them, and send them right back at him, but fortunately, he didn't. Instead, Raze didn't even flinch as the bombs struck him. When the dust cleared, he was still there, looking unfazed.

"Fighting with anger, eh Robin?" he asked. "That is a passion you didn't have before. My goodness," he paused, bent, and dusted the settling dirt from his boots. "I must a better motivator than even I realized." He then raised head, red eyes flickering. "Either that," he chuckled, deep and menacing, "Or you must _really_ hate me." He turned, and started off.

"I guess there is little more to say. You came to fight, and I will give you want you what. By the way," he stopped, turning his head around, and then lifted his hands, spreading his arms wide. "What do you think of _my_ island? Magnificent, isn't it? And I dare say you won't find it on any map either! This place was conjured up entirely by my thoughts alone!" He pointed to every end of the island. "Different environments, meant to maximize the thrill of battle, allowing your actions to pivot directly on your surroundings! However, I think for your own sake, we will limit our battlefield to this patch of land here." He tapped the toes of his boots on the ground. "It just wouldn't be fair for me to send you off into the jungle, and then pick you off one at a time. You are going to need to fight as a team against me! _Ha_!"

As he spoke, his right hand was being to glow with a bright light. In a yell, he crouched, slamming his fist into the soft dirt. The white electricity began to course through the ground. It reached the surrounding rocks, and ripping through the earth itself, up came four large black boxes, just like the ones from before. Raze clapped his hands like an enthusiastic child. "Music is perhaps the truest art form, to pour your feelings into words, melodies, and tempos, to convey exactly what you are experiencing into what you hear." He turned to the Titan's, especially Robin, who was trying to break free of Cyborg's iron grip.

"Calm yourself Robin. I know you want a piece of me, perhaps even more than you thirst for the capture of Slade, and I assure you…you will get your chance momentarily. But I must warn you, this battle is going to have a few alterations compared to the last one." Robin stopped struggling.

He didn't feel like talking, so instead Cyborg asked, "Alterations? Like what?"

Instead of answering, and grinning madly all the while, Raze slid a hand inside his trench coat, going around to his back. He unhooked something, and brought it forward. It was a long black curved sheath made of wood. Sticking from one end was the hilt of a sword. Twirling the sheath around, coming to a rest under his arm, Raze gestured to the sword with his hands.

"While I am a highly skilled martial artist, I will be using what I am truly famous for, the one aspect in which I am unsurpassable. The blade." Taking a firm grasp of the hilt, he drew forth a long curved silver blade of a katana. The hilt was black, covered in sliver studs. But the katana was definitely not a standard one. The handle was several inches longer, as was the blade itself. Furthermore, the hand guard was more pronounced. Demonstrating his abilities with the sword left the five Titan's speechless. He flashed the blade around himself, whirling it through his fingers and hands, around, behind, above, below, and everywhere at once. He finished the slashing flurry by planting the tip of the blade deep into the ground.

"Combat with a weapon. A step above and beyond pure fist fighting. I hope you are ready to face me, because I can already feel your courage slipping away. If not, you all are certainly free to leave…All you need to do is to say, "We submit," and there need not be any fighting today. You can get back on your ship and head home, without any worries."

"Never," shouted Robin, "We won't lose this time! I swear, we are going to bring you down if it's the last thing we ever do!" Raze cocked his head, and with a mocking smile asked, "If what you say is true, and you _do_ bring me down, and it is the _last_ thing you ever do…then how will you be able to hunt down Slade?"

Robin roared in fury, throwing two Birdarangs at Raze. Showing off his agility, Raze flipped back through the air, landing several yards away, atop a bolder.

"That's the spirit Robin!" he thundered, a gleam in his eyes. "I can see you want to get this battle started! But I have one last question. While _you_ are obviously ready to begin, what of your friends?" Robin realized what he was saying, and looked behind. Behind him, all four of his friends were staring at him, a plain look of fear in their eyes. He realized what was happening, knowing he wasn't going to lead the team properly if his primary motivation is pure anger.

Before he could reassure them, Raze shouted, "It is time!" Suddenly, the island was consumed by the roar of the speakers as a song began to rip through the stereo system. This one was heavy guitar, a fast paced drum beat, and light keyboard flare in the background. "The Greatest Battle Theme!" bellowed Raze. Suddenly, a red glow broke through his skin, and he was then surrounded by an aura of fire. He looked as if he had spontaneously combusted. Now feeling the "heat" of battle, Raze loosed a deafening battle cry, leapt from the rock, slamming into the ground, and then bolted over to where his sword was. He ripped it from the ground, made a series of wickedly fast swings, and then rushed the Titan's, brandishing that glimmering blade, thundering like a wild monster.

Robin had no chance. He only managed to say "Titan's…" before the blunt side of the blade connected with his head, knocking him to the ground. Seeing Robin being thrown aside so very easily, the Titan's knew that Raze was still as tough as before, perhaps even more so. In the blink of an eye, Cyborg's sonic cannon was out, and he was the one who had to yell, "Titan's Go!" however, before he could do anything, the elongated hilt of the katana went into his stomach, already creating an impression on his freshly buffed metal. With no intention of being soft, Raze hopped upwards and sent Cyborg sprawling into the dirt besides Robin with a stout kick to the face. As he came back down, his hand loosened his grip on his sword, and it fell to the ground. With now two free hands, he was able to seize the giant clawed lion paws taking a swipe at his back.

He squeezed, and growled, "Bad kitty," before he brought his head against the Beast Boy's with a sickening crunch, which had enough force to lift the heavy cat off the ground and crash into a pile of nearby brush. Then, using the heel of his boot, Raze flipped the sword back up off the ground, and snatched hold of it. He then turned his attention to both Raven and Starfire. Raven had several large boulders hovering above her head, while Starfire had the green energy around her hands. They coordinated their attacks so the fired together, but a double attack wasn't enough. With only one hand, Raze used the blade of his sword to deflect the incoming Starbolts back up, towards Raven, knocking her out of the sky. In turn, she lost concentration over the boulders. And before they struck, Raze reached out and took over them, redirecting them back up to crash into Starfire. It was only when Raze began to wonder what happened to the rest of the team, when the steel pole struck his head.

Robin had actually snuck up on him, and even more amazing, his weapon connected with the side of Raze's head. Unfortunately, his attack didn't do anything noticeable to damage him. From the corner of his eye Raze grinned, readjusted his sunglasses, and then brought his sword up to bear. Robin hopped back, then came in again, yelling, twirling the staff in circles, and the two clashed. They traded several blows, but in actuality, Raze was merely holding off Robin with the blunt end of the blade. Only when the first shot of the sonic cannon blasted him in the back, did he make a quick slice, cutting Robin's staff in two. Then, using his left hand, he seized Robin by his face, and hurled him backward. The time it took him to do this, was also enough time for Cyborg to fire another shot. This one hit Raze in the head, but as before, he didn't really seem to mind. "Care to push your luck?" he asked. Cyborg took him up on that offer, and readied his cannon. But before he could fire, Raze was right there, and had seized his arm in both hands.

"Your targets over here," said he, and twisted Cyborg's arm, so it now pointed to the giant elephant that was stampeding towards them. The sonic blast knocked Beast Boy off his feet, but that only lasted for a second, as he leapt up, and continued to charge, now as a grizzly bear. Without a second thought, Raze brought the back of his head smashing into Cyborg's face, then reached around, grabbed Cyborg by the neck, then flipped him over his shoulders into the nearest rock. As the bear continued in, Raze disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear riding atop the hairy bears back. His legs were wrapped around Beast Boy's midsection, and what happened next was a sight to behold. Using his leverage, as well as physical power, Raze, by pulling his legs backwards, and tilting his upper body forward, tore Beast Boy's claws out from under him. And then, as he continued to turn, Raze's hands touched the ground, and he released Beast Boy, throwing him over his head using his legs, having him strike Cyborg who had by that time gotten back up.

Out of nowhere, the katana flew back into his hands; just as more Starbolts came raining down on him. Using the sword again, the bolts and eye lasers vanished, not being deflected aside this time. When her bombardment was finished, Raze's sword now was glowing bright green, after it had absorbed all the energy that Starfire had launched. "Right back at you!" yelled Raze as a huge ball of green energy went streaking out from the tip of the sword, hitting Starfire. As she fell, still smoking, dark energy surrounded his hands, covering his sword. Raze glanced down at his now blackened blade, then looked behind at Raven, who was holding onto his sword, ready to yank it from his hands. "I don't think so," he told her. While she was still anchored to it, Raze swung the sword with incredible force, and still being bound to it with her powers, Raven was thrown along with the ride, being swept aside.

Robin was now standing right in front of Raze, two Birdarangs in his hands. Pushing them together, he formed a sword, and he charged, swinging his own weapon. "At last, a challenge," thundered Raze, who met Robin's attack with his own. The two clashed, Robin struggling under the extreme force each of Raze's blows inflicted. Each attack was flawless, twirling the descending blade this way and that, each hit sending a significant shock running up Robin's arms. Fortunately for Robin, he only needed to hold Raze's attention for a moment.

After he was sure he had gained enough time, he yelled _"NOW!"_ Raze looked behind, just as everything the Titan's had fell on him from every direction. Hopping backwards, Robin threw a handful of bombs, detonating on impact. Cyborg and Raven each sent in huge beams of energy to the target, while Starfire fired her own attacks as well. As a finishing touch, Beast Boy, now in the form of a Stegosaurus, using it's mighty tail, struck a huge bolder, sending it crashing down on top of Raze's head. The final blast of these combined efforts was substantial.

Running up to each other, the Titan's were pretty tired, but their best efforts had paid in full. Their plan had been simple. Wait until Raze was concentrating on one of them, then the others could hit him from behind with everything they could muster. "I guess we got him," said Cyborg, using his scanners to sweep the area.

"I doubt he's finished yet," Robin told him, "But he _had_ to feel that."

"Oh I did," said a voice, "And now you can feel _THIS_!" Robin whirled just as the huge gloved fist, covered in steel rings connected right into his face. The ferociousness of the strike hit Robin like an anvil, and he went flying through the air. Cyborg knew that Raze wasn't beaten, and while he was readying himself to fight, he was the next to feel the sting, as a huge gash was sliced into his back, cutting right through his armor, nearly slicing his power cell in two. Without stopping his assault, Raze teleported above Beast Boy, and swung his blade down. However, the curved portion of the blade was backwards, so it was the blunt end that connected. But then, that was more than enough, as the impact was easily one hundred times more forceful than that of a baseball bat swing. The attack clobbered Beast Boy, plowing him into the ground.

Then, once again moving instantaneously, Raze appeared right between Starfire and Raven, the two of which were hovering in the air, watching the brutal assault. They never had any time to react, as Raze reached out, and grabbed one of their ankles each, and in a frightening voice said, "Let's dance." He then began to spin in circles at a rate that was inconceivable by the human eye. For about ten seconds, he kept picking up speed, vanishing in a blur of color; both Starfire and Raven unable to resist. Then, at the pinnacle of his rotations, Raze let go, and both girls went flying into the rock faces nearby. While they were both reeling from the dizziness as well as the harsh impact against solid rock, they managed to get back on their feet after a few moments, despite the lightheadedness of the spinning. In an instant, Raze touched down, one foot and then the other, not even looking disheveled after whirling about.

By that time, Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy had also recovered, and Robin must have had more than enough of Raze, so he nodded at Cyborg, and the two of them nodded at Beast Boy, who went slipping away. Then, in a combined assault, both Robin and Cyborg charged, yelling at the tops of their voices, sword in Robin's hands, and Cyborg using his heavy iron fists.

As Raze landed from throwing Starfire and Raven, his sword once again returned to his waiting hands, and he began to parry both Cyborg and Robin's furious attacks with his single sword, the blade moving faster than any video recording equipment could bear witness to. He not only did that, but his other hand was stuck in his pocket, a demonstration at how much effort he _really_ needed to repel any and all attacks. At least until the green chimp sank its hands onto his head. Beast Boy had slid around behind, and leapt onto Raze's head, grabbing his silver hair, biting, clawing, trying to disrupt his concentration enough to get his guard to falter for a moment or two, allowing Robin and Cyborg to get a hit in. While the plan was indeed well formulated, it didn't work out that way.

Without even flinching, Raze's left hand left his pockets, no one even seeing it move, and grabbed Beast Boy by the head, all the while maintaining a strict defense with his katana. Then, his feet left the ground, by only an inch or two, and he rushed backwards only about five feet, but at the same time, threw the monkey at Cyborg's head. Beast Boy, who was struggling to get out of the vice grip that was holding him, was struggling for dear life, and the moment his fingers came into contact with Cyborg's head, they seized hold, and didn't let up. That distracted both Cyborg and Robin for more than long enough.

While Cyborg was prying the monkey off his face, Robin had paused to see if both of them were okay. Convinced that they were, he planned on continuing his sword fighting, but, it never happened. In that one second of lapsed concentration, Raze struck, dashing forward, his right foot dragging across the ground, and he swept both Robin and Cyborg off their feet. Then, in a move of sheer brilliance and awesome speed, while Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy were still in the air, tumbling back down to the ground, Raze continued on his spin with the sweep kick, but turned again, and as he past by them a second time, he fired a wide blast of dark amethyst energy at the three of them. It wasn't enough to finish them but before he could, the annoying Starbolts began to fall again, in even greater numbers, as well as several trees being thrown against him. The resulting damage was minimal, if any at all.

Looking over his shoulder, Raze saw both Starfire and Raven as they finished their attempts to harm him. As Starfire began to power up her eye lasers, and Raven spoke her magic words, "Azarath Metrion Zithos", the scarlet aura around Raze intensified, and exploded outward, doubling in size, sending a rush of hot air around him.

His eyes, looking like two blood red rubies fixed on Starfire, and in a terrifying roar, _"LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE THAT!"_ So saying, his feet lifted off the ground, and in a flash, he transformed himself into a bolt of red lightning, with a vague humanoid shape. Then, he hurtled towards Starfire, and considering the speed he was moving, it didn't take long for Starfire to loose track of him. However, she recalled a similar maneuver he had used in the past, so when she whirled to look behind, there hovered Raze, an insane smile on his face.

Both hands were clenched into fists, and they were covered in black energy, as well as the same energy coming from his eyes. In many ways, Raze looked like Raven, but to a much more frightening degree, for he was grinning with fangs. In an instant, Raze began to fire a barrage of black orbs and beams down at Starfire, who immediately took off, trying to evade. Sadly, Raze was far too fast to be outrun, and his accuracy was dead-on, each shot hitting the mark. It wasn't surprising that after taking that sort of punishment, Starfire fell from the sky. As she did, Raze followed her down, but his gaze was looking in another direction.

He was now staring at Raven, who was taking a defensive stance. Twisting his head around, snapping his neck, Raze flicked his wrist, and his katana inexplicably flashed back to his hand. Now armed again, he surged forward, wielding the shimmering blade, screaming like a banshee. Raven, while immensely terrified at the approaching maniac, complete with a sword and flaming aura, stood her ground, and began using her dark energy to mount shields from her hands, blocking the innumerable slashes, cuts, and stabs. Considering his speed with a sword, Raven was holding her own quite well. At least until Raze faked her out with a cross slash, in which case, she put up the shield to guard her head, but no sword struck. Instead of bringing the katana down, he flipped it through his fingers, to change the attack from a high slashing to a low stabbing. And unfortunately for Raven, she had left her midsection wide open to an attack. She saw her error, and knowing there was no way to stop him, as he moved with unreal speed, she clenched her eyes closed, waiting for the pain.

When it didn't come, she cracked an eye, to see the razor tip of the katana only a bare inch away from her. Raze was grinning, and gave her a wink. Then, not giving any sort of explanation, the entire length of the blade began to shine with a light blue glow, and a bolt of energy flashed out, striking Raven, causing her to skid backwards. It hurt, but she was still alive. That and she was able to stand again, but as she did, she was wondering why he hadn't followed through with the stab. By now, all the other Titan's had regained their footing, and made a loose circle around Raze, surrounding him. And when Robin yelled out, "Get him!", as all five Titan's rushing in; converging at the spot where Raze now stood, he simply smiled.

As they closed in, he didn't move, watching intently as they came within striking distance. The smirk on his face was a clear warning that he was about to do something very wicked, but the Titan's didn't pay any heed. At the last possible second, as the charging Titan's powered up their attack again, preparing for another combined assault, Raze fell through a shimmering gateway that appeared right under his feet. It looked like rippling water that was glowing bright blue and white, and as he sank into it, the Titan's fired their own attacks, the same as last time. It wasn't fast enough unfortunately, as the gateway closed behind Raze and the Titan's for the moment lost track of him.

At least until the light from the sky, and they lifted their eyes. There floated Raze, a ball of energy swirling from his hand, the size of which was nearly inconceivable. It looked like one of the balloons used in the Thanksgiving parades, being a dark ball of black energy, laced with blue crackling electricity. It appeared to some degree what a normal solar eclipse looked like in the palm of his hand. There was no time to do really anything, and they could hear, over the whining energy the sphere was putting out, as well as the rock and roll theme from the speakers, Raze roared, "_EAT THIS!_" before launching a doomsday Armageddon blast.

For a single moment, everything froze, the blistering light blanketing everything, as the split second before the blast. When it happened, the entire island was consumed in a ball of heat, light, and force, blowing up the solid rock, ripping trees right out of their foundation, making the ocean tremble, and shaking the earth itself. As the luminosity faded, one could see that the damage wasn't nearly as catastrophic as one would have imagined. There was a gargantuan smoking crater on the flat area of dirt, yes, and all the other sections of the island had indeed suffered immense damage. However, the island was still in existence, as were the Titan's, only just barely. They were scattered around, not knowing in the slightest what had hit them. Each Titan was smoking from the blast, all their uniforms having been reduced to tatters, being torn, burned to a crisp, and now nearly unrecognizable.

And standing in the very center of the indentation on the land, stood Raze, the aura of flickering red energy fire covering his body. As the dust settled, the last haunting chords of the music faded away, as the three and a half minuet battle ended. In a flourish, he gingerly slid the katana back into its sheath, and stowed it deep within the folds of his trench coat. And as he did so, the fire around him began to dissipate, and then, extinguished. "Well," he sighed, "That was a big let down. I was really hoping for a bit more. Disappointing." When he wasn't getting any response, he realized that no one was really in any shape to be conversing. They were all still conscious, but not really able to do any more than stand and hobble. They all managed to regroup, not sure how to proceed.

"Another fine moment, eh?" asked Raze, fixing his hair after Beast Boy had gotten his monkey hands all over it. "And yet, the end result is the same. Do you know why, little Titan's?" There was still no response, so Raze continued.

"I'll tell you then." He stepped over, squatted in front of them, and then snapped his fingers right under Robin's nose. "Because you broke one of the most ancient rules of combat before we even began to fight, and that simple mistake cost you this battle, and perhaps a few other things as well…that's why." Robin wouldn't have let him say something like that, but in his current condition, he just didn't have the strength to argue.

"I suppose you already know what I'm talking about, yes? Before we started, I had you riled up, in a state of heightened rage; your only concern in the world was to destroy me by whatever means necessary. To put it simply, you let your anger get the better of you, and you fought. Tell me Titan's, what do you know about the Theory of Baltan?" The Titan's each thought, but could never recall hearing that name before, not even sounding familiar.

"No surprise you've never heard of him," laughed Raze, "He died over fifteen hundred years ago, and furthermore, he didn't even live on this planet. Anyway, he was a famous psychological warrior, always fighting, but as he did so, he was pondering the great questions, things like, "Why am I such a good fighter?" and "What drives me forward?". Things like that. So eventually, he developed a certain standard for the emotions a warrior carries into battle. Now, I can see you are all in pain, and the last thing you want to hear is a history lesson from a villain who just beat you into the ground for the second time in a row, but if you are to overcome this problem, you need to listen. Afterwards, you may go." As he continued, he stood and began pacing, his hands moving through the air dramatically, making elaborate gestures.

"We all have emotions in one form or another. Joy, Fear, Anger, Sorrow are perhaps the four prime. Then there are the countless lesser ones that fall into subcategories, things like hate, pain, loss, indifference, ect. Baltan established a very accurate set of guidelines of what these primary emotions should and should not be used for. And, rule number one Sparky, is to "Never fight in anger." Now, it is reasonable for your inner anger to be the "gasoline" for your body's "engine", but never let it control your actions. To put it into simple terms, use the anger within to "drive" you. Let it be your energy, channel it into pure force of will. In your mind, use it to tell yourself that if you are wounded, you will get back up, if you are winning, don't give your enemy a chance to counterattack, and in the face of certain doom, you will _still_ find a way to win."  
"However," he whirled around, throwing his hands into the air, "When that anger steps beyond mere thought and seizes control of your mind _and_ body, then you have no hope. Anger is a fine fuel, but in actions, it is useless and unreliable, blurring your vision, making your attacks predictable and reckless. And Robin," Raze once more kneeled, "You fell right into my trap, my young friend." Robin was able to twist his head around to look up at Raze.

"What? You planned this from the beginning?" Raze's smile was nasty, then stood again.

"You didn't really think you had become strong enough to _beat me_, did you? Come now, that is just being ridiculous. This whole exercise was for me to use my little scheme against you." He stopped, and then sat down on a nearby rock.

"A simple strategy," he explained, "To work on your enemies' nerves, causing him to lose control, to fight with raw anger. You lose the unity of your team, and them losing faith in your ability to lead. Had I given you a few more seconds, you could have theoretically worked it out, restoring order. A lesson I think you would do well to remember." He stood, looking down at Robin, who clawing the dirt around him in frustration.

"While emotions grant you strength, when you allow them to overwhelm you, you surrender control. Balance is the key. Don't forget, I told you to work on your weaknesses before you came here. The fact that you are down on the ground instead of me is a clear indication that you were not listening. You were too rash, like a child. Thinking strength is merely of mind and body? You miss one of the most critical pieces, the bond the five of you share. You did nothing to strengthen _that_!" He sighed, turning his back on Robin, throwing out the tails of his trench coat like a cape as he walked off.

"When you finally learn, and stop acting like a kid, then I _may_ fight you again. And then again, I may not. But if I _do_, then I trust you will use your brains better next time, so it hopefully won't be a pointless battle." After finishing, he glanced up the dark sky, and then waved his hand to the side. "Very well," he grunted at them, "you all may leave."

"Dude," Beast Boy managed to say, "In case you didn't forget, you blew this whole area up, how are we suppose to get back? Our ship is long gone! I can't even see any pieces left!" Raze turned back, a cold glare in his flaming eyes.

"If you are looking for some sympathy, I'm afraid I ran out of it several hundred years ago, my friend. You all relying on a device to transport you is a clear indication of how far you still need to come. But," he paused, sighed, and pointed to the northern point of the island. "Just to prove that I am not totally without a heart, your toy plane is fine. I moved it to the north before I blew this area apart. You'll find it in good health. But I am not so benevolent like this every day. Don't expect this sort of charity every time you see me." He started off, and as he did do, his whole body was consumed in a blinding white light. Looking back one more time, and sliding his sunglasses over his eyes, he winked and said, "Until next time…Teen Titan's."

And then, his whole body seemed to compress itself into a tiny white ball, like a basketball, and went hurtling out into the ocean, leaving twin trails of water behind. It illuminated the water, but in ten seconds, it was lost to the darkness.


	6. Overkill

**Chapter 6:** Overkill

Silence fell over the dismal island. With the elaborate exit of Raze, the light that had been covering most of the island, making it easier to see during the fight, had vanished, and now there was nothing but blackness in every direction. With each others help, the five Titan's managed to get to their feet, and made there way around the island. Just as Raze had promised, the T-Ship looked as it always had, undamaged. Climbing into their personal cockpits, Cyborg switched the controls over to autopilot, having the aircraft make its way back to the Tower. After all, none of them really felt up to the task of carefully guiding the ship back across the vast ocean. Half an hour later, the T-Ship docked in its hanger and the Titan's trudged to the medical center. There they began to go about treating their wounds, numerous yes, but not serious.

All of them had burns this time, but these were surprisingly not bad at all, considering the fact that they had been struck by such enormous beam of energy. They looked to be no worse than a descent sunburn, something that would vanish within a week. They all had cuts and bruises, a concussion or something similar. And the dents and slash wound on Cyborg weren't very extensive at all. After the fight they had just gone through, they came out relatively unscathed. But the emotional scar would take much more time to cure. Once they had healed themselves, Robin called everyone into the living room. They all sat, a solemn feeling hanging over their heads.

"He beat us again," said Cyborg, knowing he didn't have to remind everyone, but he did anyway. "Yes he did," responded Robin, staring down at the floor. "But that doesn't mean he's invincible." Beast Boy scratched his head, and began rubbing his sore arms. "If he's not invincible, then I wish he'd stop acting like it. It's just like last time! What is he, magic or what?"

"I don't know what he is," said Robin, "But I _will_ find out." Cyborg, fearing a little for the well-being of their leader, put a hand on Robin's shoulder.

"Yo man, why don't you take it easy? We probably got a little time to get ready when he comes back. I think we'd all feel better if we got some sleep first. We can go over this in the morning." Robin reluctantly agreed, and the Titan's all got some well deserved sleep. However, it was not quite as restful as they would have hoped, as all of them were plagued with nightmares, all having the focal point of Raze. Throughout the night, all of them at one point or another awoke with a start, covered in sweat, nearly having screamed aloud. Nonetheless, having a few hours of sleep helped and in the morning they were all in a much better disposition. They all took part in some morning exercise, getting the stiffness and sores out of their system.

As they returned to the living room to start the briefing, there was something strange waiting for them on the couch. It was a plain white envelop, as well as a box, covered in bright blue wrapping paper, topped with gorgeous red bow. Inside the envelope, there was an ordinary white card, and in black ink, written in a fine script, read the words, _"You forgot this when you left. Hang it on your wall or something."_ It was signed "_R_". Before anyone touched the package, Cyborg got his scanners all over it, making super sure that it didn't contain a bomb or something equally horrible. Once he was sure it was safe, the bow was undone and the lid removed. Staring back at them was the mask of Slade, the one that was damaged, charred, and wrecked. Attached to the mask was another card.

_"I didn't kill, nor captured him. I figured you would want to be the ones to be bring him down. He'll turn up eventually. Cheers!" _Once again, it was signed "_R_". Removing the mask, and setting it aside, Robin asked the obvious question.

"How did he get in here?" Looking at Cyborg, asked, "The security system is armed right?" Moving over to a terminal, and scanning the system schematics, Cyborg nodded.

"Armed and ready. And what's weirder, it didn't pick up any trace of someone entering here anytime recent. Maybe he's just messin' with our heads or something?"

"Maybe, and maybe not. Whatever the case, we need to discuss last night." A very unhappy topic yes, but one that must be addressed; the Titan's sat down, but no one said anything. "So," asked Cyborg, breaking the silence. "What's to talk about? We got our butts kicked a second time by that guy. Our plans fell apart, and our attacks did nothin'." Robin cast a dark glare over at him.

"What's your point?"

"You know what my point is man. We've fought this guy twice, and we haven't even been able to scratch him. I mean, we hit him with everything we had, and he didn't even seem to care. What can we possibly do to beat him when he comes back? What if decides to show up today and drop one of those giant bombs right on the city? How could we stop him? What could we really do?"

"Nothing," answered Raven, who sounded even gloomier than normal. "There is nothing we could do, and there is nothing to stop him from doing that right now."

"I know," chimed in Beast Boy, "And somehow, I think he was taking it easy on us! What woulda happened if he got serious all of a sudden? We'd probably have ended up as fish food!" Robin shook his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," he cried, holding his head in frustration. "We can't let him rattle us. There must be something we haven't seen yet or thought of! Think!"

"We've seen all we need to," Cyborg told him, "and look where thinking has gotten us. We had plans laid out on what we were going to do, but those were messed up before the music started. I really hate to be right about this, but we might not be a match for him, no matter what we do."

"I don't believe that," yelled Robin, casting his hand over his shoulder, out the window at the City stretched out behind them. "He could have been lying about when he would come back! Meaning he could start blowing the City up at any moment. Meaning, we need to find a way to bring him down once and for all!"

"You don't have to shout," Cyborg told him. "And you don't need to remind us either. We all know it. 'Sides," Cyborg cleared his throat, and looked away. "I think we need to…you know…concentrate on that…other issue Raze was talkin' about first. You know, the whole "strengthen our bond thing"." Robin whirled on Cyborg.

"You think it's my fault we lost, don't you? You think I've lost control and that's why we got beaten?"

"I ain't sayin' that man," Cyborg argued. "It's just; we all know how frustrated you get when you are hunting down criminals. You remember what happened when you were lookin' for Slade? You lost control then. All I'm sayin' is to take it easy. And I think we should at least consider what Raze said. He _does_ have a good point."

"He's a lunatic, and I don't care what he said! And you were really taken in by what he said too! You don't think I'm fit to lead, isn't that right?"

"Stop putting words in my mouth," Cyborg was losing his own cool, and his voice raised as well, the two of them standing toe to toe. "I don't think it was your fault, but I _do_ think you need to calm down, else we all screw up again!"

"Just come out and say it! I'm not focused and all I think about is beating him? Right?"

"Well, right now, I'd have to say you're right! You aren't focused, and if we can't concentrate on what's important here, we won't _ever_ be able to beat that guy!?" The yelling would have continued until a cry broke through over the shouts.

"You must stop this!"

All eyes turned to Starfire, who had a very panicked look in her eyes. "You must! We mustn't fight with one another! There is no need to yell and blame each other! What happened was none of our doing!" Raven nodded.

"She's right. We all are to blame, not just one of us. And even if we do fight here, all we are doing is proving that Raze was right, that our bond is not enough to beat him."

Robin, was about to say something, probably an apology, when suddenly a thought popped into his head. He began running the events of both fights over his mind, and what Raze had said to them. All at once, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I've got it," he yelled as he ran over to the nearest terminal. He typed in a few things, and found what he was looking for. He then pointed to the displayed image to the rest of his team. "I think Raze _does_ have a weakness, but it's not something physical about him. It's this!" All the Titan's stared at the picture, a little indifferent.

"You think _that's_ what's gonna get us to beat him?" Beast Boy asked, scratching his head. "I think that would just make him mad or something." Cyborg considered it as well.

"That's true, but you remember what he said. Making him mad might get him to make mistakes, and fight sloppy. That could be our edge. And if not, well, I guess it could distract him long enough for us to get a few good shots in."

"All right," announced Robin, "We'll put together a few tactics, and see what happens. If the next fight is going in the same direction as the first two, then we'll use this." So it was, the five began to lay their plans, hoping that this perhaps crucial discovery would be enough to topple the giant pillar of power that was their enemy.

_A time later…_

Then, after a time, an incident occurred that definitely showed them what Raze had been talking about. In fact, he was the one who told them so. After defeating a fat television obsessive geek that went by the name Control Freak, the Titan's had rented a horrific movie entitled Wicked Scary. They all watched it in the dark, and needless to say, it terrified them beyond all reason. Afterwards however, strange events began happening, something moving around the Tower, scaring all of the Titan's out of their minds, slowly taking them down one by one. Until only one remained, Raven. The whole time, since the movie, she had been insisting that nothing scared her, but it was discovered that this was not the case. Seeing as she constantly denied it, her fears began manifesting themselves in the different forms, using her powers as an outlet, and these strange beings were the responsible culprit. As soon as she admitted her fear, her power was restored and brought back under control. No one was hurt, and a lesson had been learned. But that was not the end.

For the majority of the night, they had been looking throughout the Tower, trying to hunt down the perpetrator that was trying to scare them. It had been a trying ordeal in the end, as running for ones life tends to be, and being scared beyond words constantly they were seriously exhausted afterwards. When everything was resolved, the sun began to rise, and everyone had to spend the day in bed, catching up on their Z's. In the evening, they all agreed that they needed to get out of the Tower, with the thoughts of those haunting creatures still lurking in the shadows of their mind. So, they all went for pizza, all of them having been famished from the night's terrors. Cyborg, showing off the new attachments to the T-Car, drove everyone. As they were getting out of the car, Beast Boy's eyes widened, as he pointed a quaking finger.

"Dude, I don't believe it! What's _he_ doing here?" Following his gaze, all the Titan's had to make a double take, and they too couldn't really believe that they were seeing what they were seeing.

There, sitting under one of the umbrella tables, his back to them, in his full attire, was Raze, leaning back in his chair, sipping a huge bottle of soda; three giant steaming pizza's sitting in front of him. His glasses were on, holding a slender paperback book in one hand, flipping pages, and humming a tune. Sitting next to him, leaning up against the table, was his sword in its black sheath. What made it even weirder, is that none of the other customers nearby found that strange in the slightest.

Seeing their enemy there made all the Titan's forget about their hunger, and as Robin was getting ready to call out for an attack, Raze, without even turning around, lifted a hand, and his unforgettable stern voice rang out.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he called, turning a page in his book, and placing his soda back on the table. "Now is neither the time nor the place for such nonsense. If you wish to make public spectacles of yourselves, than please do so when _I'm_ absent. Thank you." Then he turned away from his table, looking at them. "If you have business with me, than the least you can do is to act a bit more civil. So for starters, you can all come over here, and sit." This was followed with a mischievous tone in his voice as he finished, "I don't bite. Normally." Not wanting to cause a panic, the Titan's, made their way over to where Raze was reclined, and sat themselves down. A waitress came up, and asked for their order. "Peruse the menu if you wish," Raze told them, flipping a page in his book, "and get whatever your hearts desire. I suppose I can cover this one. That is unless of course…you don't trust me?"

"I _don't_ trust you," Robin told him sourly, "And I'm tired of playing these stupid games with you. I want answers. Now! Why are you doing this?" Raze wagged a single finger at him, his eyes not looking at him, scanning the book.

"Uh uh," said he with a singsong voice, "I can't tell you that until you give your order to the nice girl here. She _does_ have other tables to attend to you know." With a certain and most evident reluctance, the Titan's huddled, and they ordered a large pizza as well as drinks. Once the girl had departed, leaving them alone, the Titan's turned back to Raze, who was still totally absorbed in his book. Noticing their angry stares, he gave them a grin, and with the flick of his wrist, the paperback vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Oh dear me," he told them grinning, "Don't tell me you all _still_ carry that undying grudge with you? The few times that I wish to act sociable with you, and all you five can do is talk about past transgressions." Robin leaned over the table, and demanded once more, "What are you doing here? Are you…" And before he could say something else, Raze cut him off with a quick gesture.

"I do so admire your want to protect this city Sparky, so let me assure you, _had_ I wanted this place leveled to the ground, or whatever it is you _think_ I'm "planning"…it would have been done so by now. My agenda has nothing to do with this city. That _was_ what you were going to ask, yes?" Robin couldn't answer, feeling a twinge of anger, so instead, Raven spoke.

"Then what is your agenda?" she asked him bluntly. Raze flashed yet another surprisingly cheerful smile and gave them a raised eyebrow.

"Why, I thought I made that quite clear last time. You five are my agenda, at least, for now. Studying your behaviors and the like, it's remarkably fascinating to me actually. Like last night? That whole performance was splendid! Even I got chills watching! Truly magnificent!" While the Titan's were looking at one another in disbelief, Raze gave his fingers a snap, and one of the pizza's in front of him shrunk down to size of a coaster, and he casually popped the tiny morsel into his mouth.

"What are you talking about," Cyborg asked him. "You mean you were there last night? But we already know that all that stuff was Raven! Where were you at?" Raze chuckled.

"What, did you think I would advertise my presence whilst I was hanging about? That wouldn't have been very sneaky, now would it? Anyway, I was observing your battle with Control Freak, and I even watched that movie. Not too shabby, but I've seen way worse things in reality." Now Beast Boy leapt up.

"You mean you were watching Wicked Scary in the same room with us? I didn't see you!" Once more Raze laughed and shrugged. "Well, I had to be cautious as I said. I wasn't there to give away my position. But honestly, I was standing less than five feet behind all of you the entire time. Thus, I got a good look at your faces when that movie scared you out of your heads. That was more fantastic to watch than the movie itself actually. I was so tempted to laugh a little, but I got the feeling if I did, I figured that all five of you would have leapt out of your skins. And we couldn't have that, goodness me no!" None of the Titan's could believe what they were hearing, that their enemy Raze had been so near, while they were totally unaware of it.

"I found it intriguing to watch, as Raven's powers began manifesting all those different things, and not a one of you could figure it out. Except you Robin and for that I salute you." Raze did so, with a grin. "Without even understanding the full extend of Raven's powers, you will still able to solve the riddle. Bravo to you!" Then, taking a sip from his soda, Raze proceeded to shrink and eat yet another pizza, swallowing it without chewing, making all the Titan's stare at him in disbelief. "But I guess now you see what I was trying to explain to you last time," he said to them, wiping his mouth. "Emotions are a powerful force, and if not properly controlled, they can and _will_ find whatever outlet is available, to rear their ugly head. In this particular case, the creature from the movie, as well as other creepy crawlers. I do hope you are readying yourselves for my next visit, yes?"

Robin was about ready to leap over the table, not wanting Raze to vanish again, but he held himself as the waitress returned with their pizza. What followed was an uncomfortable silence, as the Titan's half-heartedly ate, their eyes never leaving Raze, who was watching them, resting his chin on one fist. After a time, he quickly consumed his final pizza, and let fly a colossal belch which shook the ground. Then, he stood, rolling his shoulders. Seeing him stand, the Titan's did too, ready to fight. Raze waved his finger at them, and shook his head.

"Now, now. No need to make a scene. And as I said, this is no time for that. I'm too full to fight right now anyway. Besides, it's too soon. Take your time, build your strength, and try and remember what I told you. It is very important, and it is a serious issue that _needs_ to be overcome." As he was straightening his trench coat, the waitress came over one last time, holding the bill. Raze glanced from her to the Titan's.

"Well, I _did_ say I'd cover for your tab, so I guess I'll keep my word on that." So, after digging around one of his numerous pockets, he pulled out a tiny little clear gem and handed it to the stunned girl. "Keep the change," he told her with a wink. It was then he noticed the Titan's staring at him hard. "What," he asked with wry curiosity. "Are you surprised that I actually paid my bill? Come on, do you all think I'm so petty to do something like skip out on the check?" Robin pointed after the waitress.

"It's not so much that, as what you used to pay it. Where did you get that diamond? Probably stolen." Raze ran a hand over his face, and gave Robin a mockingly exasperated sigh. "I told you before, you silly boy; I don't _bother_ with such trivial things as that. And I suppose you are talking about these?" As he said this, Raze reached into his pocket again, and pulled out a handful of the same types of stones, easily one hundred. "These," Raze told them, flipping them a gem, "Are something I own, thank you very much. I wouldn't have to steal money, as I have hundreds of thousands of jewels like this and more. I get most of them as a thank you from people, so stealing for money is really out of the question for me. Besides, I _hardly_ ever even need money."

"A thank you?" echoed Robin, "For what?" Raze gave him a grin, and pulled out a silver watch that was hanging from his sword belt.

"What indeed?" he told them with a mischievous smile. "That is something you will learn eventually. But according to my watch, I'm late again. Well Titan's, it has been fun, but I really must be off. Just remember, that I am always nearby, you just never know how or even when. So keep heads up, alright? Oh, and do enjoy that pizza. It smells delicious. We'll be in touch. Ta!" And with that, his whole body turned clear and transparent, like water, and he fell to the ground with a splash. Then almost at once, the water evaporated and was gone. The Titan's stared at the spot, finished their pizza, and went back to their Tower to think. It was only after he left that they realized that they still had the diamond he had given them.

_Further on down the road…_

After the second week passed, all the injuries had healed, and once again, thoughts of the villain Raze slipped into the background, even his visit at the pizza parlor. He didn't leave their minds entirely, but he wasn't their focus, not being the center of attention. During this time, all the Titan's were very carefree, but still maintaining a strict schedule, redoubling their training efforts. It wasn't as intense as the previous one week, but this time they didn't have a known time limit, so they all worked hard, but not enough to physically exhaust them from everything else. They once again continued with their other duties, foiling a plan of Slade's, although the mastermind himself never showed up personally. However, this was more than enough proof that Raze hadn't been lying about him not being killed or captured.

Then, around the afternoon some time later, everyone was doing their daily chores and routines. Robin was busy practicing his martial arts against a robotic sparing partner Cyborg had whipped up, Cyborg was busy tuning up both the T-Ship and the T-Car, Raven was meditating up on the roof, and Starfire was sitting with Beast Boy, who was flipping channels, not sure what to watch. It was a quiet day, sunny, no signs of trouble. At least until the Titan's alarm system went off, summoning everyone into the living room. It turned out it was Raven who had triggered the alarm. Everyone came in, out of breath and full of curiosity.

"Raven," asked Robin, who had run all the way from the gym. "What's the problem?"

Raven pulled back her hood. "I was outside meditating, when this suddenly fell into my lap." She pulled from her cloak a plain white envelope, the letter "R" embroidered on the flap in red. In an instant, the name of their enemy popped back into everyone's mind, filling their thoughts full of memories of past encounters. Raven had already opened the envelope, and she pulled a crisp sheet of plain white paper out of it, handing it to Robin. "I opened it, but the paper was blank. There isn't any writing on it." Just as she said, the paper was devoid of any handwriting. No symbols, no message, not even any numbers.

"It's a message," concluded Robin. "Raze wants us to know that he's back."

"But why nothing?" asked Raven, "No coordinates, no time, nothing. Do you think only wanted to get our attention?" Cyborg took the paper and ran it under a microscopic system, checking it for any signs of writing. There was nothing to be found, the paper couldn't have been cleaner if it was taken right out of the box.

"I wish he would not have sent so peculiar a sign!" exclaimed Starfire, "What if it does have a secret meaning, and we fail to discover it in time?"

"That won't happen," Robin told her, "But she's right," he turned to the others. "Whenever Raze does something, it always has meaning. When we got the messages from him, they were spelled out. Maybe this is some twisted game of his, to make us figure out where he will be next!"

"What about that island?" asked Beast Boy, "Maybe he wants us to go back there?"

"Now that I you mention it," said Robin thoughtfully, "That's not a bad idea. Maybe we should go out there and take a look. Cyborg, do you still have the coordinates from the last time?"

"Sure do, and now that we know what we're lookin' for; it shouldn't take us as long to get there. But there's no telling if it will be there again or not. He did say he made it himself, so I'm sure he could get rid of it too."

"Well, we'll find out soon enough," Robin told him, "Prep the T-Ship, and we'll leave as soon as you're done." Turning to the rest of his team, "Okay, Raze might not even be there, but it would be best to check. Even if he isn't, everyone remembers the plan?" Everyone nodded, and they dispersed to get ready for the possible battle ahead. It took Cyborg only fifteen minuets to ready the ship, and soon they were off.

With the auto navigation system employed, the T-Ship made its way to the coordinates of the previous encounter. As they got closer, the sky darkened, several storm clouds blotting out the sun. Rain soon followed, along with lightning and thunder. Through the falling rain, the familiar island began to take shape, just where it had been last time. Circling overhead, the damages inflicted upon the island, namely the huge crater in the eastern section was nowhere to be seen. And neither was Raze. Setting the ship down, the Titan's left their cockpits, and began scouring the island. They split up, searching all four corners of it, and they found no traces of the mysterious Raze.

"I guess he's not here," concluded Cyborg, running one last sweep. "Maybe it was his idea of a joke, getting us all worked up, then comin' here in the rain, lookin' for him."The constant rain was taking its toll, Beast Boy's nose was running constantly, and a fit of sneezing took hold, morphing from one animal to another with each sneeze. Once he was able to speak, he ran a hand over his face, wiping away huge globs of snot.

"Well, if this is his idea of a joke, I'm not laughing here. I'm gonna get sick if I stay out here to much longer!" Robin wasn't really convinced.

"I don't think joking is something Raze does too much. I'm pretty sure there was some hidden meaning in that paper. I just can't figure out what."

"Oh, I think you got the meaning _very_ well!" The voice came from a huge jutting out rock nearby. Stepping our from behind, stood once more, Raze, decked out in his usual attire. However, the rain didn't seem to affect his appearance, no water running down the leather of his trench coat, his hair not even being damp. He casually walked over to them, one slow step at a time. "I was sure I would have to send you several blank notes to get you to come here. I must say, figuring it out on the first time round was enough to get me to come here in person. A feat in itself. I trust you have made then most of your time lately?"

The Titan's had spoken of this sort of thing during their strategizing. There wasn't going to be any "friendly chatting" this time around, else Raze could once again play his devious mind games, so instead of responding, they readied themselves. Raze lifted his shades off his eyes, giving them a raised eyebrow gesture.

"What, no long drawn out conversation between us? Something mentally as well as physically stimulating?" Robin twisted his bow staff around.

"We didn't come to talk. We came to bring you down. This is the last time we fight."

"I see, I see," said he, running his glasses through his fingers, "That's disappointing. Oh well, one deals with life's inconveniences in stride. Like," he paused, looking at them, "well, I think you get my drift, yes? At least let me stop the rain. Although I like the sogginess of the situation, I think this battle will best suit us without." So saying, he raised his hands to the sky, and the rate of rainfall slowed, waned, and then died altogether. However, the rain clouds remained, covering the island in a murky haze.

"Now to add a little spice." Making a few intricate hand signals up at the clouds, they began to spout off even more lightning, crackling over head, followed by the boom of great thunder. Once the atmosphere was set, Raze returned his attention to the Titan's.

"Such serious faces," he told them, smiling with mockery in his voice. "You have much more focus than before. Admirable. Anyway, if we aren't here to talk, then I guess battle is all there is left. Consider this nothing more than a routine checkup, me measuring your personal growth, so this should hopefully be quick and painless. Like a doctor appointment." He rolled his shoulders, his back snapping. "I figured I would stay with the sword again. It is after all, my favorite. Any objections?" There were none.

Very casually, Raze's hand slid inside the inner pockets of his trench coat, and seized the elongated katana grip, and with a grating metallic ring, he drew forth the silver blade, glinting on what light was around. Whirling it about him quickly, his flourish ended with him pointing the tip at the Titan's, and grinning. "Alright then, who wants a taste of this, hmm?" Raising his other hand, he snapped his gloved fingers, and from out of the rock faces themselves came the familiar black boxes, humming with power.

"I just couldn't decide on an appropriate soundtrack this time around. I was thinking something dramatic yet bold as well with a good beat, and continual motion. What say you?" Robin stepped up, pointing at the stereo.

"How about a hero's victory music, you have any of that in there? We're going to need it after we beat you." Raze grinned back at him.

"Strong words, little man. Let's hope you are not all talk, and provide me with an interesting fight. For your own sake, Sparky." Snapping again, the music sprang to life, letting out the theme Raze had chosen for combat. A light drum beat, with a strange raspy sound in the background, as well as low voices, almost like chanting. "A favorite of mine," he told them, tapping a boot in time with the beat. "Music dedicated to a warrior. A short little track, but then, I get the feeling we won't need much time for this, will we?" As the music continued, they stood, facing off, a gust of wind passing through, ruffling all the capes and trench coats in the vicinity.

Then at last, Raze, brought his sword up, to a defensive stance, and shouted, "Have at you, Titan's!"

Robin looked back at his team, gives them a nod, then raises his staff, and yells, "Titan's Go!" And thus it was on. Robin went in first, swinging his staff, determined to perform his role in the battle to the best of his ability. He leapt into the air, attacking Raze with a downward aerial assault, but it was doomed to failure. Raze lifted his arm up, using his katana to hold of the steel bow. While holding it up, Robin was left in a vulnerable position, and Raze took advantage of that by raising his foot up and kicking Robin in the chest, sending him streaking backward. Cyborg and Beast Boy were already moving in, using a special technique they had developed for fights like this.

Cyborg was holding Beast Boy while he was in the form of a turtle. Once Robin was clear, Cyborg wound up, and beamed the turtle at Raze. After he was launched, Beast Boy then changed forms, into that of a rhinoceros, hoping that his size would increase the chances of hitting. It didn't, for Raze saw the attack coming, and phased over several feet to the right. Then, in addition to easily dodging the incoming attack, as Beast Boy went streaking past, Raze's hand stretched out, and was able to take a grip on one of the rhino's horns. Using the remaining momentum of Cyborg's throw, Raze turned his body, doing a one eighty, sending the rhino back at Cyborg. Already having planned for this, Cyborg dove out of the way, rolled, and was back on his feet, his cannon ready to fire. He may have been all set to shoot, but he never did, as Raze was already waiting for him as he got back up. His face was only an inch from Cyborg's.

"Boo," he said a split second before he planted a heavy punch right into Cyborg's face, knocking him aside.

Knowing there were still others to be dealt with, Raze didn't follow up with either Cyborg of Beast Boy, but now lifted his eyes, seeing both Raven and Starfire. They too had come up with a special technique to use against Raze. Using Raven's magic, she was combining her powers with Starfire's, and the two of them were creating a huge sphere of swirling green and black energy. When it was ready, Raven hurled it down.

Raze marveled at how pretty the swirling colors looked, but he didn't appear to be too intimidated by that mass of shimmering power. In a much laid back way, he planted the tip of his sword into the soft dirt beside himself, and lifted his hand out to meet the incoming ball. It connected with his palm, which created millions of sparks, as well as sending waves of hot wind whipping around all over the battlefield. The orb was being held by Raze, but he did even more than that. After a moment's concentration, his hand began to envelop the ball, absorbing it into himself. It took less than thirty seconds for that sphere to vanish, leaving not a trace behind, save the smoke coming off Raze's hand. And now Raze himself appeared to have a black aura surrounding him, with a hint of green in it.

"Pretty neat trick," he called up to them, "But I've a better one!" True to his word, Raze lifted both hands up at Starfire and Raven, and then cross the palm of his right hand over the back of his left. What followed was the sound of shrieking energy, as he began to force the power from his body, channeling it through his hands. In a burst of light, dozens, perhaps hundreds of tiny little black orbs, with the slight coloration of green, leapt forward, circling around Raze, swirling about, like planets orbiting the sun. "Incoming," he shouted, and with the wave of his hand, he sent the swarm back up to Raven and Starfire. What followed looked like an artillery barrage, as both girls had to run for dear life, trying to escape the tiny energy balls, which were detonating on contact.

Having dealt with them, Raze turned, to find Robin standing there alone, holding his own sword. Raze smiled at his reckless bravery, and lifted his own sword from the ground. He knew Robin wasn't any match for him, but nonetheless, out of courteously, gave Robin a little salute with his blade before crouching into a swordsman stance. Robin didn't return to the salute, and instead charged. However, since the last time, he had been brushing up on the field of swordplay, so his moves were far more calculated and precise. Swinging hard, Robin didn't slow his attacks down, having Raze simply block. Then, after maybe two dozen failed attacks, Raze preformed his own slashing assault, and the two swords became interlocked, the two wielders engaged in a power struggle. Raze grinned at Robin from over his their clashing blades.

"You seem to have more control of your team this time around. At least you managed to get yourselves back together. And you are even more skilled with a blade too. How delightful! But I still think you are greatly overestimating your chances of beating me here!" Robin struggled under the intense weight that Raze was applying with his sword.

"You aren't going to win this time! We've made sure of that!" Raze cocked his head to the side, a puzzled yet pleased look on his face.

"Oh really? Well, news flash little Robin. Unless you all have some ingenious plan to overpower me, then this skirmish is going to end with _your_ face in the dirt. Not mine." Robin finally returned the grin "You want to see our plan? Fine! Titan's _NOW!_"

From behind, there was a giant explosion, which sent a plume of dust rising into the air. Raze looked over his shoulder and saw the other four Titan's, but they weren't near him…they weren't even looking at him. Cyborg was pointing his sonic cannon directly into the dust. As it cleared, in smoking ruins upon the ground, were the remains of one of the black boxes, which served as a speaker for the Raze's "portable" stereo. Raze's face turned from smug, to horrified, as he saw that. From another direction, came a second blast, and Raze whipped his head around again. There was another destroyed speaker, Starfire hovering over it, having finished blasting it away with Starbolts and her eye lasers.

Knowing what was happening, Raze caught a glance of as Beast Boy, in the form of a triceratops, gutting the third speaker with his horns, knocking it to the ground, and stamping on the frame. And finally, Raven, as she seized the fourth and final speaker with her magic, she then tore it apart from the inside out, scattering the complex inner circuitry all over the place. Without even noticing him, Robin too had slipped away from the weapon deadlock, and was now standing in front of the amplifier. Finishing the job, he threw over a dozen of his disk bombs on to the machine, blowing it into oblivion. Once that had been accomplished, the Titan's regrouped, waiting to see what Raze would do.

As for Raze, he stood as he had been while fighting, his sword still up, completely unaware that Robin was gone. Finally, he moved, one staggering step at time, making his way to the majority of his shattered creation. His breathing was shallow, and shaky, as if he had been running for an eternity. He held his sword in his left hand, gripping it by the hilt, the blade sticking out from behind, now dragging through the dirt. He stretched forth his right hand, using his telekinetic powers to gather up the sad remains of his device which were sprinkled about, and having them converge on the primary heap. As he finally got there, which took a moment, seeing as how he was walking so slowly, as if he would fall over at any time, he threw his sword violently to the side, and he fell upon one knee.

For a moment, he didn't move, his eyes merely traveling through the pile of junk, a shocked and yet devastated look on his face. Tentatively, he reached out his hand, intending to pick up some of the pieces. When a sudden spark of electricity flashed, he paused, and then carefully, picked up a small shard of the CD that had been in there. Looking down at it, sitting in his palm, he almost felt a longing to gently stroke it. Instead, his hand began to slowly clench, bringing his fingers together, grinding the shard into nothingness. He brought his fist up, looking at his trembling arm. His began to inhale faster, harsher, as his breath sounded as if it was going in and out through grit teeth. From overhead, lightning flashed, and thunder rolled across the sky.

Suddenly his right arm flashed out, and his sword, which he had thrown away, came streaking back into his hand. He closed onto the hilt, his fingers digging into it, the blade hanging out behind him as before. Very, very, slowly, he rose off the ground, his left hand tightened into a fist, his right gripping the hilt of his katana. His back was to the Titan's so they couldn't get a look at his face. From what they _could_ see, they had gotten him good and angry, just as they had hoped. What they _couldn't_ see however, was as he stood, his shoulders kept rising and falling, his body expanding and retracting, as he heavily breathed. Anyone could tell it was angry breathing, the kind where you are so mad, you just can't seem to express it in words. His whole body quivered, from top to bottom, ever so slightly. From deep within his throat, came a rumbling, snarling, growling sound, as his voice grew from there into a tortured howl. His head was down, nearly resting on his chest, but then, it slowly began to rise, looking straight ahead.

Then, in a sudden jerk, his head ripped around, glaring over his shoulder. What the Titan's saw then, would haunt them for a long time. His regular red eyes were gone. Before, it had been the white cornea, the red iris, and in the center, the black pupil, as if he had been wearing colored contact lens. In there place, was a pair of crimson eyes, no other color, except this dark red glow. And they weren't friendly. Oh, those eyes were filled with such hate, being menacing, ominous, sinister, and frightening all at the same time. His teeth were bared; his normal looking fanged teeth now replaced by long slender jagged fangs, like daggers. Slowly, one foot at a time, he turned around, facing the Titan's, sword sticking out behind him. His body was trembling, his shoulders heaving up and down.

With his left hand, he reached up, took hold of the collar of his black trench coat, tore it off his frame, ripping the fine leather to shreds, and then throwing it aside. Now, without the sleeves, one could see his arms, both hands clenched in such fury, veins were sticking out everywhere, straining through his skin. As he stood, harshly bringing air into his lungs and then back out, the rumbling growl echoing from his mouth, the red aura from before began to creep out of his skin, soon covering him with its burning embrace. Suddenly, he threw his head back, and uttered an inhuman roar, bellowing at the sky above. As he did so, a huge cloud of dust was kicked up, mixing in with his aura, which, when he yelled, exploded outward in a pillar of flames. For a moment, the cloud of dirt blocked him from the Titan's line of sight.

"Jeez," cried Beast Boy, looking as if he saw a ghost, "All that did was get him _really_ mad! Did you see those eyes? He's gonna kill us!" Cyborg looked down at Robin.

"I think B.B.'s right man. I know I get angry when my stuff gets broken, but dude, I've never seen anything like that." He looked back at Raven and Starfire. "How 'bout y'all?" They both shook their heads, getting a _very_ bad feeling about the whole situation.

"Well," Robin said, "we've done it, and there is no way to change it. We're just going to have to hope it can keep him off balance enough for us to beat him." Everyone nodded, except for Beast Boy, whose green face had gone as white as paper. Lifting a feeble finger, he pointed. The other Titan's looked, and saw something that most people would never ever see, not even in nightmares.

The cloud was settling, and their view was still obstructed. But in the smoke, from deep within, was a dark shadow, two red eyes piercing through. And it was coming. Gradually, Raze stepped through the curtain of dirt, looking pretty much the way he did before he was covered. Burning eyes, fanged mouth, and clenched body. But now, he was walking their way. It was eerie to behold, this demonic looking being, almost leisurely walking, one heavy foot at a time, as if he was moving in slow motion. And it was obvious to see, that he had only thing crossing his mind. Murder. Since he was coming, Robin turned to his group.

"All right, he looks pretty freaky, but that doesn't mean we don't have a shot here! Attack just as we planned. He isn't invincible, and we're about to prove it." Turning around, he yelled, "Titan's…" before he let out a choking groan. Lightning streaked across the sky.

Looking down, he saw the silver blade enter into his midsection, a searing pain coming form the point of impact, as well as from behind, from the exit wound. Raze was there, crouched low to the ground, right hand still holding the hilt, but his left hand was now an open palm, pushing on the pommel of the hilt of the sword. The blade pierced its way into Robin, burying itself all the way down to the hilt. The nearby thunder crashed, like a bomb. Blood trickled from the wound, as everyone stared in utter disbelief. All except Raze. His eyes were glowing furiously, his mouth open, letting off a long raspy hiss.

In one smooth motion, Raze withdrew the blade, and stepped back. Robin looked back at the others, a stunned look crossing his face, a thin bead of blood coming from his mouth, as he then fell to the ground. Raze watched as he fell, his expression not lightening in the slightest. After he collapsed. Raze looked down for a moment, and then suddenly with a roar of fury, lashed out with his boot, striking Robin with a sickening crunch right into his rib cage, sending him flying like a doll. He probably would have gone further, but he violently struck a stone, and collapsed in heap.

No one moved. How could they? It had happened so very quickly. Coming to his senses though, Cyborg pointed his sonic cannon at Raze, and started to yell. He fired, but the katana came swiftly up, slicing away the beam of energy. With renewed fury, Raze's head jerked up, staring Cyborg in the eye, and then he flew forward, sword leading the way. He flashed past Cyborg, and it was only when he stopped, and began to turn, did Cyborg's right arm shatter in a shower of electrical parts. Then, as Raze turned, his sword struck again, severing both of Cyborg's legs in a single shot. Then, whipping the sword around his body, Raze finished by stabbing in the air behind him. There was harsh grating, and the sounds of something electrical being fried. The point of the katana was sticking out the front of Cyborg's chest, having been speared in the back, and coming out the other side, going straight through his central power core. As all his systems shut down, and as his legs crumpled beneath him, Raze let his sword fall from his hand. Cyborg hit the ground, becoming nothing more than a heap of scrap.

By this time, after only ten seconds, two of there friends had been cut down; the other three Titan's had looks of unparalleled terror and anguish on their faces. But that was not the end. Raze's head rapidly twisted to the right, to the nearest Titan, Beast Boy. Now unarmed, Raze bolted forward with no signs of slowing the massacre. In an instant, his huge fist collided into the vulnerable spot at the base of the ribcage. Beast Boy was pretty much out of the fight at that point, but that obviously wasn't enough. Raze began a ferocious assault, raining blow after savage blow down onto Beast Boy, just like a heavy boxer, using full force punches, striking without mercy. He just…wouldn't…stop. Punching, elbowing, backhanding, using his knees, it just was too brutal and too horrible to watch. And then finally, mercifully even, he finished, with a gut-wrenching uppercut, which sent Beast Boy's battered form high into the air. Then, using his incredible speed, Raze was already above him, hovering, and waiting. He locked his fists together and brought them crashing down, for one more atrocious hit. Beast Boy went spiraling back down, tearing a hole in the nearby ground. All the while, Raze's eyes never flinched; his fangs still grit in that heartless glare.

He then landed with a crash himself, creating a divot in the earth. As he slowly stood once more, his head jerked to his left, looking up into the air. Both Starfire and Raven were watching, terrified beyond all reason, holding a hand over their mouths to stifle any cries. The crimson eyes locked on Starfire, as he began to once more slowly walk forward. As he did so, his hands, once more clenched into balled up fists, began to crackle and snap with blackened energy. In all the previous displays of power, Raze's lightning attacks had always been much softer to look at, very smooth, gently waving lightning, the kind you would see in a science expo. This was vastly different. Jagged bolts of electricity were pouring off his fingers, looking very wicked.

As he got closer, both girls couldn't do anything but watch as that horrific creature approached. The fear…the terror…the absolute _horror_ of everything they were witnessing had inflicted a paralysis over them. It was only when Raze launched the two huge bolts of black lightning at Starfire with a thundering snarl, was she able to move. She slipped away from the first, but the second one hit dead on. And the pain was far worse than anything else. Not being able to withstand the agony, Starfire fell from the sky. But Raze wasn't finished yet. Stretching his arms out, putting the heels of his hands together, he created another colossal bolt of lightning, this one being whiter in color, but still terrifying in nature.

As she fell within his sights, he fired, it striking her stunned form, and propelling her to the western side of the island. Lowering his left hand only, his right was now generating a single golden sphere of energy, around the size of a softball. It hung on his palm for a moment, until it went streaking away, heading for where Starfire had come to a stop. The ball vanished, and for a split second, nothing happened. Then, there was a blistering light, as the western, and parts of the northern and southern quadrants of the islands was totally obliterated, in a near subatomic level explosion. There was almost nothing left after the blast.

His hands returned to his side, and reassumed their fist shapes, and for the fifth time, his head circled around, until his horrible eyes locked on to his final target. Raven had landed, being totally consumed by fear. Looking back at Raze, she could barely stand it; his features were all twisted and distorted, looking far worse than a wild monster. And those eyes. _Those eyes_! Raze still looked the same, just as when they first saw him.

But now, he was coming. In that slow motion walk, he came closer. He was still a good distance away, but still. His right hand was in a tighten fist, while his left was open, fingers slightly curled, as more swirling energy covered it. As he walked, the energy crackled in the air. Seeing as how she needed to fight, Raven finally made her move. And what a move it was! Using all the strength she could summon, she grabbed the nearest rock, which was the size of a city bus easily, and dropped it on Raze. Impressive though it was, it was simply not enough. Raze used his right hand to deliver a crushing strike to the solid rock. The result was it shattering like glass, breaking into pebbles, and the bigger chucks falling to the sides. And he kept coming. Her next attack was to take a grip on the ground where he was walking, and snap it together like a bear trap. This worked, but suddenly that too blew apart, as Raze came even closer. As a last attack, Raven fired a concentrated beam of pure energy at Raze, hoping to at the very least slow him down. He just walked right through it, as if it wasn't even there.

At that point, he started to pick up the pace, breaking into a run, charging her, his left hand hanging out to the side, leaving a trail of energy behind, bellowing with infuriated wrath all the while. Knowing there nothing she could do to stop him, Raven just watched helplessly, her eyes focused on Raze's left hand, the one with the energy. Then he was there, right in front of her. He was getting ready to bring his left hand forward to strike, but instead, his right hand suddenly flashed up, and Raven was unexpectedly hit with a blast of pure telekinetic force, sending her flying backwards. A telekinetic sucker punch.

Her flight was interrupted by a rock, which she struck, and fell to the ground in a heap. That lasted but a moment or two, as she was able to open her eyes, and try to sit up. As she looked up, she froze. Standing right there, holding his open hand an inch away from here head, stood the demon. His eyes didn't soften, his teeth were parted, letting out that low snarl, and it looked as if he was about to blast her into nothingness. However, instead, he lowered his hand, gently resting it on top of her head. Before she could wonder what he was doing, a horrible pain ripped through Raven's mind.

And there, within her own conciseness, she saw countless images, of the most horrific things she had ever seen. Worlds burning, people suffering, dying, screaming in agony, sacrifices, blood, darkness, nightmares, the things that most people think Hell is filled with. These and more, incalculable more, went spiraling through her mind all at once, blending into a nightmarish unholy vision. She held her head, feeling a choking sensation, not being able to breath, not being able to stand the pure horror of everything, but being unable to stop it. Then, finally, she let out a shriek, and fell to the ground, in a dead faint. As she collapsed, the clouds above opened up, and they began to let out a light mist of rain, covering the ruined island in a light haze of rainwater.

As for Raze, at long last, the grip of whatever it was that had a hold over him, broke. His eyes were still red, still glowing, but now, instead of being set in a furious expression, calm, almost passive. His mouth too, was now relaxed, having a pleasant smile, rather peculiar to see, as he still had those long protruding fangs. Speaking of which, his razor fangs were slowly vanishing, as if they had never existed in the first place. Before long, his eyes too began to revert. The red seemed to almost be sucked back into the iris, going back to the normally softer gaze that Raze usually had. When all of this finished, and all signs of the horrific state had vanished, Raze blinked his eyes several times, and shook his head from side to side, like a dog. This was followed by his trademark move of twisting his neck, letting it snap the bone. He then placed a hand on the side of his head, rubbing his temple, letting out a few staggering breaths, as if he had just finished a rousing jog, and let out a low groan.

"Man," he commented, completely nonchalant, "As many times as I do that, I can _never_ get use to it." It was then that he noticed that Raven was lying at his feet, in an unconscious heap. Raze stared down at her, his eyebrows raising, and he gave his head a shake with a mysterious grin. "Huh," he said to no one in particular, "Mayhaps that was a _little_ much." He stooped, and picked up her hand, and checked her for a pulse. There was one, meaning she was alive, but she didn't appear to be in good shape, having a grimace of pain and fear on her unconscious face. Standing again, Raze began to scan the area. He soon found all of the Titan's, all alive, but just barely. They were all banged up pretty badly. "Ah, they're fine." he said aloud. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to help…" Looking down, Raven was still at his feet. Sighing, he reached out again, took hold of her hand, lifted her up, and threw her over his shoulder, as he started off. The rain…kept falling…


	7. Friendly Chat

**Chapter 7: **Friendly Chat

Swirling images came and went during the period of total blackness. An endless void, filled with nothing, except the passing glimpses of memories, brief flashes, not enough to be able to determine what they were. Family, friends, homes, come and gone, circling around, spiraling up and down the black pit of emptiness. They blended together, separated, and became one again. There was a short picture of the five Titan's, like a photograph, Robin standing at the head of the group, a easygoing grin on his face, Cyborg flashing his crazy smile as he held Beast Boy in a headlock. Raven was off to one side, trying not to smile, her hood over her head. Starfire was beaming brightly, standing right between everyone. And then, in a horrible instant, the picture seemed to shred into tiny little pieces, and then slowly incinerated. Gone.

Then came an image seen before, planets, dozens, perhaps hundreds even, engulfed in flames, rivers of lava, meteors falling from the red skies, what remaining of the planets populous shrieking in terror. These infernal wastelands stretched on forever, not having a starting point, or an end. That horrible image soon faded, like a weak signal from a televisions reception. In it's place now, was, standing in what looked to be the wreckage of a once glorious city, a huge demon could be seen, crushing all in his path. This one was very clear, but as with the others, it didn't last long. Many more things which didn't make any sense, beings that looked far from human, waging war against other equally odd looking creatures, and a group of monks, clothed in black robes, chanting some indiscernible babble.

And then, the final image rose from a cloud of smoke that originated from nowhere. Stepping forth from the darkness was Raze, flaming crimson eyes, looking mad enough to be foaming at the mouth. His sword was trailing behind, dripping blood. And behind him, lying in a spotlight cutting through the dark was the Titan's, motionless. Raze's head lifted to the invisible sky, and howled like a beast, as he had done in battle. Then, his eyes slowly came back down, and locked onto something, or someone. Glancing over his shoulder, it was clear now that there were only four Titan's lying there, but it was impossible to differentiate them from one another.

Turning back forward, Raze began to move, walking in that measured slow-motion way, one foot gliding over the other. And he was silently growling, as he closed the distance. Even though he was moving at an almost leisurely pace, he was almost now directly in front of the line of sight, almost like stepping right in front of the camera. Now his snarling could be heard, heavy and low, accompanied by the same staggered and erratic breathing as before. Just as he lifted his sword over his head, most likely intending to bring it down on whoever was there, was when he too started to fade from existence, as the darkness began to break away, being replaced by piercing white light.

_Back in the waking world…_

The nightmare drew to a close, and slowly…reality returned. The blinding white light was coming from above, a light over head. It took some doing, but finally, Raven managed to get her eyes open. She blinked a few times, adjusting herself to the light. Sitting up, she felt a twinge of lingering pain run through her head. Looking around, she saw that she was lying in a bed, like those found at the hospital. There were curtains surrounding the three sides of the bed, all of which had been drawn closed. From somewhere nearby, was the sound of equipment, probably one of the machines that measure a person's heart rate. Her cloak was gone, nowhere to be found, and Raven wasn't even sure where she was, her memory still feeling fuzzy. She took a moment to rethink the past events, and then it all came back in a torrent. She vividly remembered the terror she had felt, as well as the utter distress as she saw all her friends get attacked. That's when a quiet voice spoke, startling her out of her thoughts. The voice came from beyond the curtains.

"And so, the first one awakens," an all too familiar voice said, very casually. "It's about time too." The voice made Raven's blood freeze into ice, and she was nearly taken again by paralysis. However, she overcame her fear, reached out, and pulled the curtain to her left aside. There was a large window, overlooking the water, very high off the ground. The sun was shining, and the City was a little beyond that. In a darkened corner, was a simple metal chair, leaning up against a wall. Sitting in the chair, was a figure, holding a spread open newspaper over his face. Even though all Raven could see was a pair of black boots and dark pant legs, as well as the black gloves with silver rings gripping the paper, it was still a dead giveaway to try and guess who it was. Hearing her draw the curtain, the figure in the chair, stirred, uncrossing his legs, and refolding the paper together, then folded it again. He then tucked it under his arm, and leaned forward, causing the tilting chair to plant the two airborne legs back on the floor.

There he was, Raze, sunglasses pushed on top of his head, once again wearing his black leather trench coat, looking none the worse for wear. He was scrutinizing Raven up and down, with a raised eyebrow. Feeling extremely vulnerable while sitting on a bed, and seeing the psychopath so very near, Raven felt the paralysis break, and jumped over the side railing. The moment she did that, her head exploded with white fire, and her whole body seemed to give out, causing her to crumple to the floor, crying out in pain. She just couldn't muster the strength to stand. But then, suddenly, a firm hand took hold of her arm. Looking up, Raze was standing over her, smiling down at her, though it was not really full of cheer. She tried to shake his arm away, but his grip didn't break. It was solid but supportive, not being a harsh grasp. Carefully, he helped to her feet, and she sat on the edge of the bed

"Keep cool," said he in a composed almost jolly tone, "While it _is_ impressive that you were able to leap out of bed like that, you really shouldn't be up and about yet. _You_ are still recovering, thus you need to take it easy. You are in no danger, I assure you." As soon as the headache past, Raven looked around.

"Where am I," she asked Raze, a demanding tone in her question. He stepped over to the wall, and leaned back on it.

"I would think if you were awake enough to get on your feet like that, you should have a somewhat decent idea as to where you are." He sighed, and then shrugged, "But then, you have just woken up after a trying ordeal, so I suppose that's to be expected." Lifting both hands, he made a wave around the room. "Well, dear girl, you are home." He gestured out the nearby window with a tilt of his head. "You're in the medical center of your tower actually." Checking the view again, it became very familiar, and Raven knew that Raze was telling the truth.

Then she gave him a cold stare, and in a choked up voice, asked him, "Where are my friends?" Raze didn't answer, and his gaze was still fixed on the window, studying the scenery or something. Raven waited, but she already knew in her heart what the answer was. She looked away from the monster standing by the window, and as she did so, she noticed a familiar curved sheath in the corner, housing Raze's katana. Finally, after blinking his eyes for a moment, Raze turned back to Raven.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying? I was just thinking about something, and I missed your question." Not sure if he was serious, or just making a sick joke, Raven repeated, "Where are my friends? What have you done with them?" He smiled.

"Ah yes…," he mused in a nasty-like way, "_Them_. I'm afraid that I _can't_ remember. Darn it, imagine that!!" Having little patience with this maniac, Raven was nearly about to jump off the bed again, ready to press for the answer, with force if need be, when Raze pushed himself off the wall, nodding.

"You don't take jokes very well I'm assuming. Funny how you manage to put up with Beast Boy. Hmm, well anyway, you needn't worry, they are all in good health, I assure you. But knowing you, you want some proof, more than my words can provide," he moved as he spoke, walking around the bed. As he did so, he took hold of the partially pulled curtain, and as he walked past, he tugged it. "Take a look for yourself then."

Once the curtain was aside, Raven now had an unobstructed view of the rest of the room. Beyond, were the other beds in the medical section of the Tower, and currently, the other four were occupied. Lying in the one closest to Raven was Starfire. She was still asleep or knocked out, and she was covered with multiple bandages, as well as a few of the sensors that keep tabs on a persons vital signs. Next to her was Robin, who looked pretty much the same, in addition for a clear oxygen mask covering his mouth. At his midsection, was a large bandage. Beast Boy came next, at least that's who Raven assumed it was, being in a body cast, looking like a mummy. And lastly, down on a slab at the end, was Cyborg, his severed arm and legs on a table nearby. A long thick power cable was plugged into his central processor.

"Just as I promised, in good health. Or at least, they will be soon enough." Raven stepped off the bed, holding onto a nearby table to maintain balance, ignoring her aching head, and made her way over to Starfire, who was the closest. Once there, she began to run her eyes over the monitor, checking to see the current condition of her friend. Raze was once again leaning on the wall, now picking his fingernails with a knife.

"She'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "They all will be. The damage inflicted could have been serious, but was more superficial than anything else. For show, that's another way to put it." Without looking at Raze, Raven asked, "How did we get here? How did we get back to the Tower?"

"I'd think that would be obvious, dear girl. I have a feeling you can recall all that happened, so it shouldn't be any surprise that none of you were really up to the task of flying home. All five of you were unconscious, and each of you was suffering from one sort of wound or another. Fortunately, _I_ was still up and about, so I had to carry the five of you back here, and patch you up myself." Now finished with checking Starfire's current state, Raven turned, to look at Raze, who was still occupied with his fingernails. "You brought us back here?" Putting his knife back into small leather sheath attached to his sword belt, Raze stepped over to the next bed, occupied by Robin, and began to run his eyes over the monitor.

"Of course," he told her, his fingers gently tapping the screen. "It was fairly simple, although I must say I had a devil of a time lugging that little ship of yours back here. Thing weighed a ton, but I managed. That was, of course, after I brought all of you back here, and hooked you up to all this stuff." He finished going over Robin's vital signs, and moved on to Beast Boy. "Well, I'm very surprised," he said after a moment of study, not really speaking to Raven in particular. "I would have thought you all would have been at least awake by now. Perhaps you are all more fragile than I thought…" Raven watched as he walked along, seemingly uncaring of what happened; acting as if he didn't know who it was that had injured her or the others. She looked away, and once again, her eyes fell on the sheathed sword sitting in the shadows. "What do you mean?" she asked, struggling to stay on her feet.

"Simple," he told her, now standing beside her, laying a hand on her shoulder. She glanced down at his gloved hand, and struggled with the urge to shake it off of her. "As I said, the damage isn't really as serious as one would be led to believe. You, for example, suffered the least amount of physical damage, but then you were the most susceptible to psychic damage. That takes the least amount of time to heal, if it's not permanent." He stepped back, and pointed to Starfire, covered in bandages.

"Starfire had several major burns, but her kind is extremely resilient, so it isn't any real shock that she's almost fully recovered." He started walking now, meandering his way down the line of beds in slow stride. While his back was to her, Raven, stood, and began to move as well, making sure Raze wasn't looking at her.

"The stab wound to Robin," he continued, "was probably the gravest _looking_, and yet that attack totally missed any vital organs, in actuality being nothing more than a slight flesh wound." He then patted one of the plaster legs that Beast Boy was wrapped up in.

"Beast Boy too, while it may have appeared that the beating I gave him was substantial, it really wasn't. And that goes doubly for someone who has a genetic makeup like his; increasing the normal recovery rate three fold of that of an ordinary human. He should probably be ready to get out of that thing when he gets up." And lastly, Raze stopped at Cyborg.

"_He_ was perhaps the biggest problem, as I am not really up to date with all the "cutting edge technology" and so forth, so after taking care of you four, I had to brush up on Cyborg's system designs, and managed to whip together a makeshift power cell. Nothing _too_ extravagant, but it does what it's suppose to. He's recharging right now, and once he's able to move, I'm sure he can start fixing himself. So, like I said, I'm quite surprised that…"

A strange sound came from behind Raze, a harsh grating of metal on metal, and a split second later, a sharp point was digging into his neck. Glancing down, his demeanor never flinching, he saw Raven, gripping _his_ katana, pressing it right up to his throat. She was shaking, not maintaining the greatest grip on the sword, but still had a fierce look in her eyes.

"I can recall several occasions," he mused after a moment with thoughtful smile "where I've been snuck up on before. But I do believe that this is the first time I've ever been held at the point of my own sword." His smile disappeared, replaced by a questioning look. But he didn't make a move. "Are you going to kill me?" he bluntly asked her, his voice eerily calm. The fire in Raven's eyes told him that she desperately wanted to. She pressed a little harder, nearly punching through his skin.

"You tried to kill us all," she said, her voice quivering.

"Dear Raven," he answered, a deadly serious look glinting in his eyes. "Had I wanted to _kill_ you or any of the other Titan's…it would have been done a _long_ time ago. I would think that _you_ of all people know that already, as if you will recall, during our second fight, I had clear opportunity to kill _you_. And yet I did not. I've no intention of killing you or anyone else. Although I have been more than capable, of course. Some people are born to kill; while others, like you and the rest of the Titan's…were really not."

"And I suppose you think that makes us weak," Raven asked him, with a harsh quality. "We don't kill our enemies, so we are pathetic?" Raze carefully shook his head, being careful not to jab himself with the sword.

"It's not a question of weakness. Perhaps what you say is right, but then, maybe it's not." Not really expecting him to somewhat agree, Raven didn't really have an answer for that. "I'll explain," he said, seemingly uncaring of his current predicament. "In this world, and the countless ones beyond your expanse of limited knowledge, there are great beings, with awesome power at their disposal, making them a far cry from the normal standards of their society, whatever that society may be. And with that great power, being able to kill those that are average is no real accomplishment. Really, anyone with enough strength could find killing easy. But that is not a _true_ test of power. To have that power, and not _abuse_ it, to fight with that power, but not to kill, to restrain oneself, that demonstrates great control. You five are perfect examples, where you could all use your power in selfish ways, defeating anything that could stand against you, but instead, you fight for justice in the world. Of course, the other side of this situation is that it makes you all a tad unwise. You, instead of dealing with your enemies in the permanent fashion, you put them away, hoping that the time served will aid them in changing their ways and views. I'd think that this does nothing more than fuel their anger towards you, and rekindle their passion for vengeance. But then again, after all…what do _I_ know?"

Not sure if he was merely talking to wait for an opportunity to try and escape, Raven knew what he was saying was true in very real and somewhat damning way.

"So," he said, looking down at her, "Considering whom I am, and the atrocities I have committed in my lifetime, including the ones you don't even _know_ about, if you really and truly wish to kill me…I won't blame you. By many standards, I do indeed deserve death, perhaps one hundred times over. By others though, I am revered as both a saint and a god. While other view me as an unholy plague. If I was faced with your decision, I probably wouldn't hesitate to rid existence of something like me. But you are a different person than I, so…do as you must." A tense moment followed, Raven, holding that sword, in her heart wanting to put an end to this villain…but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. The sword lowered, and she took a few steps back, unsure whether Raze, now out of danger, would retaliate.

He did not. Instead, once again, he gently took her arm, and led her back to her bed. She sat down, and then he held out the now empty wooden sheath. Raven gingerly put the katana back inside and Raze once more set it into the corner, and then sat himself down onto the nearby chair. He slowly rolled his neck, snapping the bones beneath the skin, and then rubbing his shoulders. A long silence followed, Raven watching his strange behavior, as he picked up a small book, and began to casually flip through the pages. More than five minutes passed before he saw that she was watching him.

"You're still awake," he noted, raising an eyebrow, sounding somewhat curious. "I figured you would have gone back to sleep."

"Yeah," she replied, wondering if this was the _same_ creature that had injured them all. "I was just wondering, how did you get in here? Did you deactivate the alarm system?" Raze studied her carefully for a moment or two, and gave her a small smile.

"What manner of all-powerful being would I be, if I couldn't get around a petty alarm system?"

"All-powerful," she echoed, not entirely sure what that meant.

"Well of course," he continued, beating a hand on his chest with a grin. "I'm not ordinary; the same goes for you and them as well," casting an arm to the other Titan's. "But there is a difference between us."

"Well, I guess," she said, "But I was wondering if you could be a little more specific on how you got around our security system?"

Raze began rub his temple, pretending to consider the matter carefully, "As a rule, I usually don't give away my secrets to anyone, but just this once, I'll let you in on it." He gave her an overly elaborate wink and in a hushed voice, "I've adjusted my body harmonic frequency and heat signature to match that of a piece of metal. In normal people terms, the scanners of the Tower think I'm a walking piece of steel. Pretty sneaky, huh?" Despite being unsure on exactly how someone could really do that, Raven didn't think he was lying.

"How long will something like that work?" Raze tilted his head back, tapping a finger on his chin.

"Truthfully, I'm not really sure. But it's been three days now, and I've been lucky so far."

"It's been three days," she asked, shocked that such an amount time had passed. "We've been unconscious for that long?" Raze nodded. "That's why I thought it was strange that you've all remained out of it, despite the light injuries."

"If case you've forgotten," Raven reminded him in an accusing tone, "You're the reason we were injured in the first place."

"True enough," he replied, "but that never would have happened had you five not brought my personal property into the fight, don't you agree? Although it was a very feasible tactic, to blow up my stereo, regardless of how _tasteless_ it was, it definitely would have riled me up. The only thing you all didn't plan on, was what the result of me getting angry would be. That was the biggest fault in your plan." Raven remembered those eyes, how full of fury and devoid of any other emotion. Seeing them in her mind made her shiver. Raze noticed, and he came over, sitting down next to her.

"I know it was pretty scary," he told her, "and I can only imagine how terrifying that must have been. But on the bright side, that incident proves your bravery. If I was you, and I saw something like that, I probably would have run like mad. It's like I was telling you after our second fight, emotions are a powerful force that can unleash our greatest strengths, but also make apparent our weaknesses too. The double edge sword." He paused a moment.

"You and I aren't so different, you know?" _That_ made Raven jump, and she turned her eyes at Raze. "Is that really so hard to believe?" he asked her, staring back, finding her reaction amusing. "It isn't _that_ strange. Look at Robin next to Slade; they share several characteristics in common, although Robin hates to admit it. They are smart, they are cunning, excellent warriors, and the both of them hate to lose. And then you and I. We both have great psychic powers, both having skills in magic, are highly intelligent, and we both keep our emotions relatively under control, with the occasional freak out now and then."

"You have a point," admitted Raven, "But there is one major difference. I'm not a criminal, and I don't hurt people just because I can." Raze pondered this, then sighed, casting a sideways smile at her.

"I suppose you have a valid argument, however if I wanted to hurt people at random…I would. But I'm actually wondering, and if you will, I'd like you to answer me this honestly." He paused, and then directly asked her, with a noticeable grin, "Do you and the other Titan's _really_ hate me _that_ much? Do you see me as _such_ an evil person?" It was a rather blunt question and Raven wasn't really sure how to answer. Especially because of the passive and inquisitive look he was giving her. Right then, he didn't seem all that bad.

"I don't think its hate," she told him, once again thinking how utterly bizarre it was for her to be sitting alone with the strongest villain the Titan's had ever encountered, and having a somewhat…well, friendly discussion with him. "You just are very…" she just couldn't find the right words. Raze watched her try to express what she wanted to say. Finally, he said.

"Let me make a stab at it. You don't _hate_ me, per say, but you find me aggravating that I can overwhelm you all, and you don't like it when I use your failed attempts to beat me, to help increase your own skills as a twisted form of motivation. That and I've…you know…blown stuff up before. Somewhere along those lines?" Raven knew he hit it right on the mark, so she nodded.

"More or less."

"I figured as much." He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and stretched his arms out, his spine popping.

"By the way," Raven asked him. "Why did you save us? You could have just left there, but instead brought us back here." Cracking an eye, he glanced down at her.

"What? You find it strange that I would do something kind to another? To do something that wasn't…evil?" he chuckled and gave his head a shake. "I suppose considering my conduct since I first met you all, I do indeed deserve such a label. And while you may believe it or not, I can tell you that I'm really not quite as cold-blooded as you think I am. Don't get me wrong, I'm not really a nice guy, by any standards, but I'm not wholly without _some _compassion. So…_why_ did I save you? I guess because it made me feel a little bad, watching you all get pounded into a pulp. After all, I was the one who caused all that pain, even though you brought it upon yourselves. That and, well, I'm having too much fun with you guys. What would have happened to you all, had I not done anything? My favorite amusements would still be lying out on that half an island. And that's no good." Looking back down at her, he raised an eyebrow. "Does that answer your question?"

"I guess," she said, still perplexed by his surprisingly calm, as well as disturbing behavior, "but why did you stay here the last three days?"

"Well," he continued, "had I left, something _could_ have happened, I suppose. Some problem that I couldn't have foreseen might have occurred, like one of these machines to break down. The result could have been bad, probably major complications in your conditions. Besides, it wasn't _that_ big of an inconvenience for me. I have all the time in world to spend. I mean, what are three or four days to someone who has lived for as long as I?" He intentionally said that, wondering what her reaction would be. Instead, she asked another question, something he had hinted at before.

"Since I woke up, you don't seem to be the same person that we've fought before. You seem, well…more human. I don't know how to put it…"

Raze finished for her, "I am not quite as evil as I was while fighting? And I'm not a jerk either? Here, I am much more…_nice_," he shuddered at that word," and don't seem all that dangerous? That about right?"

Raven nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

Raze flashed her a grin. "Like I said, we are so very much alike, even in the ways we think. Truly remarkable. But, you are right; I'm actually _not_ the same guy. And yet I am." He chuckled. "Pretty mysterious, huh? In reality, when on a battlefield, I use certain elements that aid me in being as strong as I am. Right now though, those pieces of my mind have been recalled, and allows my charming personality and devilish disposition to shine through. In a way, I am like two very different people stuffed into a single body. The proverbial day and night, if you will. On is comprised of light, being cheerful and non-aggressive, while the other is darker than black, being somewhat twisted and a formidable warrior." This answered several of Raven's questions, but she was still hesitant to ask the big one, the one that was hovering above like an ominous balloon. Instead she continued with what he had just said.

"When you are the other you, the fighter, is what happened last time normal? The other battles you seemed as if you were taking it easy on us." Her thoughts went back to the second battle, where Raze faked her out with his sword techniques, which had left her open to a possibly fatal shot. Instead of striking, he only zapped her away with a bolt of energy from the blade of his sword.

"No," he said in a low voice, but with a noticeable glint in his eye. "Not a _normal_ occurrence, but an expected one at least. That was a bit of my darker abilities, call it my "demon side", coming out to play, something I don't allow to happen much. But, making mistakes is a _human _trait, right?" He gave her a slight smile. "Perhaps one of the best?" Raven caught what he said, and now she was very much afraid of Raze. Now she knew what he was.

"So, you're a demon?" she half-accused, half-asked. "We weren't sure if you were a human or not. And you've been saying your human, but I didn't know you had demon blood too. I guess that makes sense." Raze looked at her with a puzzled expression, looking at her very closely.

"Drawing our own conclusions are we? Am I a demon, or even, do demons even exist? To answer both…no and probably. But your knowledge on such thing is indeed impressive." He then smiled. "You Raven, are truly one in a billion, being as smart as you are, with a keen insight to hidden temporal matters. However," he looked down at his own hands, clenched them into fists, and then slid off the black gloves from his hands. "I'm not a demon, as you suggested. I was merely using that as an example of my sinister side. But then, nor am I a human.

"Then, if you aren't a demon," argued Raven, "or a human, where do you get your power??" Raze looked down at her, giving her an intriguing smile.

"Curious about my nature, hmm? I suppose that _is_ confounding matter. To all your technological scans and biological tests, I look, sound, feel, even act…human. At least, sometimes. I'm willing to bet that all of you figured there was a mistake, and disregarded the results, yes? It's not surprising, as I have powers no human does, so I must be some weird creature. But here's the clincher. Right here and now, I _am_ a human. Though, at the same time…I'm not. Albeit a very roundabout answer, but that is neither here nor there." Finally, Raven asked Raze the mother of all questions, the one that she had been itching to know from the first time the Titan's had fought him.

"If you really aren't a human, then you must have come from some other planet. If so, which one, and how are you a human, but also not? That doesn't make any sense."

"Ah, the eternal question as a fellow says. Delving into my origins, now _that_ is quite a tale indeed." He stared out into space, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "While that is a story that is sure to leave you teetering on the edge of your seat…I don't think this is really the correct time to speak of it." He looked down, and he could clearly see the expression of disappointment on Raven's face. "Never fear, I suppose there would be time to tell a bit of it, but I'll only do so once all of them," he jerked his head behind, "are awake and better. No sense in speaking of it more than one time, as I don't like participating in meaningful talks. Besides, _you_ still need to rest, and here I am talking your ears off. You should be recuperating, not listen to me meander on about mind-boggling and potentially upsetting concepts."

Raze paused for a moment, and seemed to consider something for a second, and then he started to laugh, for once sounding cheerful and not creepy. "Though, I can't remember the last time I sat down with someone and had a heart to heart talk about… well anything at all. It's good to just sit and chat once in a while, you know? We should do this again sometime." He cast a friendly gaze down at her, and winked, which made Raven blush, and look away. Raze then stretched his arms again, and stood.

"Well, I guess I'll get back to work, so you try and get some sleep, alright?" As he walked off, he began to whistle a little tune. Raven watched as he went, he casually strolled, like he was completely carefree. As he got to the door, he paused, and turned back to her. "Like I said, you're totally safe, so don't worry, okay? Right now, I'm not a threat to you. Later…who can say, but at this point, I'm a…_nice_ guy." He disappeared out the door, which slid shut behind him.

For the next few minutes, Raven went over the whole event in her mind, contemplating. She had been sensing his emotions, and he seemed genuine, but seeing as he has such a formidable mind, he probably could mask his real feelings with little trouble. If what he said was true, then she shouldn't worry, but then, being a "villain" he could very easily be lying. However, Raven got the feeling that if he _really_ was as bad as the Titan's originally thought, then he would probably wouldn't have brought them back to the Tower for treatment. Too tired to think anymore, Raven lay back down, and soon slipped back into sleep.

Later…

When Raven's eyes opened again, she saw all the other Titan's were also awake. Cyborg was busy welding his pieces back together; Beast Boy was struggling to get out of the plaster body cast, being unable to get the head section off. Starfire was gruelingly pulling off her bandages one at a time, to reveal the now healthy skin underneath. And Robin was sitting at a remote terminal in the room. Very cautiously, Raven stood up, and found her cloak now on a nearby coat rack and swirled it over her shoulders, securing the clasp. The others noticed her getting up, and their faces brightened.

"Oh friend," cried Starfire, who bolted over and embraced Raven in an enormous hug. "I am overjoyed to see you awake again! We have all been worried so!" Raven finally gave Starfire the sign that she was running out of air and was released. Robin laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked. Raven nodded.

"I'm fine; I just needed a little sleep." Cyborg hopped over, holding his one missing leg in his hand.

"Could someone tell me what happened? I can't remember a thing after that psycho went ballistic on us." No one really had an answer. Raven cleared her throat, and all eyes turned to her.

"Actually," she said hesitantly, looking from one to the others, "I've woke up before any of you, and found Raze here."

"Raze was in the Tower," interrupted Robin, "How did he get in past the security system? Did he read the codes from our minds and shut it down?" Raven shook her head.

"No, nothing like that. He said he had adjusted his body's harmonic frequency to the pattern of metal." Robin had been pacing, but now he turned.

"He told you? You mean you talked to him? He was right here?" Raven nodded again.

Cyborg finished reattaching his leg, tested it, and then stood up. "He can do that? I've never met someone who can change his own physical harmonic frequency without any hardware. That guy ain't human." Beast Boy finally pulled of the last of the body cast, threw it aside, and gave the remnants a kick.

"Of course he isn't human! Dude, didn't you see those eyes? They were super scary; no regular guy could do that! And when he pounded us? There's just no way!"

"According to him," Raven told them, "he_ isn't _human, but then…he might be, but he didn't say how he gained his powers. He was pretty vague." There was a silence, while the Titan's contemplated.

"You say you talked to him," Robin asked Raven. "What did he say? What did talk about?"

"Well," she started, "He told me exactly what happened after we all were knocked out. He brought us back here, and hooked us up to the medical equipment, probably saving our lives. Then, he spent the last three days here watching us."

"Three days," asked Cyborg, "We've asleep here for three days? I guess that's why I'm so hungry!" That was a bit of news to all of them, shocked that they had been out for so long. "What else?" Robin pressed.

"He told me that he had been here for the past few days, caring for us while we recovered. He did hint towards his origins too, but nothing solid. He said that he would tell me when you all woke up."

"So, he was around here for the three days?" Robin said, going over all of the facts. "Then there is still a good bet that he's still in the Tower somewhere. Cyborg," he turned to him, "Can your scanners pick up any other life signs in the Tower?" Cyborg plugged his own hardware into the output terminal, and began running diagnostics and checks.

"Scanners are coming up clean. But if he was changing his harmonic frequency, even I couldn't pick him up."

"Okay," Robin said, addressing the team, "We need to check around the Tower, and see if Raze is still here."

"We probably want to go to the main computer first," Cyborg told him, "I can hook into the entire network there, and can start running scans around the rest of the Tower. Try and pick up his harmonic frequency." Robin nodded.

"Alright, let's go." As the other Titan's filed out, Robin noticed that Raven was hanging back, looking hesitant. "What's the matter," he asked with concern.

"It's Raze," she told him, "While I was talking with him, I learned a few things about him. Things that we need to be very careful about. He…" She had to pause, holding a hand to her head. Wondering what the holdup was, the other Titan's came back, looking in.

"He's…I don't really know what it is…but there is something wrong with him. I don't think he's like us. And, I don' think we could ever beat him. He's different. Not just because what he did to us…the way he feels, it's bizarre. Even how he's acting now…like he's not evil." Everyone stared at her, as if she had gone mad. "When we talked, he seemed like a different… well, person. All I'm saying is, until we know what he is, we shouldn't fight him again." The other four agreed, and went back out the door. As they were leaving, Robin put a hand on Raven's shoulder.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. She nodded.

"I don't think he's completely bad, but whenever darkness is involved, it can't be good." Robin nodded.

"We'll have to be extra cautious then."

Stepping out into the halls, the Titan's began to stealthily make their way to the living room, being super alert, not sure if Raze was waiting around a corner. Finally, the got outside the doors, and from within, they could here what sounded like very low music, as well as the telltale signs of someone tinkering with electronics or mechanical equipment. The Titan's got on either side of the door, ready to burst into the room the moment the door opened. When it did however, they were not ready for the result. From out of their living room, came a flood of booming music, heavy rock and roll, the lead guitar screaming like a banshee, so loud that they were blown back from the door, crashing into the opposite wall. Once more getting to their feet, they made their way into the living room, struggling to get past the heavy sound waves. The initial burst of sound that happened when the doors opened was the worst part, and after getting past that, it got easier. There, in the living room, they were greeted by a strange sight.

Everything was sparkling, cleaned and looking buffed to a mirror shine, all things were straightened and neat. Never had the Titan's seen their home so…spotless. Over by the entertainment system, the monitor was on, switching from one channel to the next ever few seconds. Right by the couch, they could see a single chair with a high backing. Draped over the chair however, was a leather black trench coat, and the chair itself was leaning back, rocking back and forth. Making their way closer, it was all the Titan's could to do to move in slowly, and cover their ears. The surrounding music was far too loud. After much struggling, they got over by the couch, and got an even weirder sight.

There sat Raze, totally oblivious to their arrival, wearing a set of head phones over his ears. His gloves were off as were his boots, resting on a table to his left. His rings were still on, and so where his shades. In his hands was a small appliance, an electric mixer, and he was busy tinkering with it using a screwdriver. And he was busy humming the theme to some song, whatever he was listening to on the headphones.

After a moment or two, his eyebrow raised, and he tilted his head in their direction, looking over the top of the glasses at them. He then grinned, and had to shout over the music.

"Ah, finally awake I see! I guess I can turn this off now!" So saying, he lifted a hand into the air, and snapped. As if he had flipped the on/off switch, the heavy metal song blanked out, leaving now only the much quieter blaring of Raze's headphones. Thought it was fainter, the same music that had been on the loud speaker managed to get through. Removing the headpiece, Raze lifted his glasses up and off, and set them aside on the nearby table. Then he went back to his fiddling with the mixer, disregarding their presence. Robin was about to speak, probably something hostile, when Raze once again looked up at them, with a bewildered expression.

"Well, are you all gonna sit down or not? I don't think you need an invitation, this is _your_ house after all." He pointed to the nearby couch with the screwdriver, and then continued with his work. Remembering what Raven had warned them about, the Titan's eased themselves around Raze, sitting down on the sofa. "Just give me a moment," he said to them, not looking up. "As soon as I get this thingy working, we'll talk."

"Good luck, man," Cyborg told him. "I've been trying to get that stupid thing working forever. That's why it was in the trash heap." Raze continued to poke and prod the appliance, but he still raised his eyes and an eyebrow.

"You _do_ know that your "trash pile" was full of things that could easily be fixed, yes?" He cast his head behind him, to where the junk pile _used_ to be. It was gone, sparkling clean, just like the rest of the room. After a moment, throwing aside the screwdriver, Raze tossed the mixer high above his head, and a single slight static bolt of electricity leapt from the tip of one of his extended fingers, and hit it. When it landed back into his hands, he flipped the switch, and it jumped to life, even though it wasn't even plugged in. He grinned at Cyborg, and threw the now fixed appliance over his shoulder. It flew over to a nearby cabinet, which promptly opened, and it neatly found a nook to occupy.

"I must say," he told them with a serious glint in his eyes, shaking his head. "_Never_ have I seen such a colossal mess, and it's only the five of you living here! I spent the last few days cleaning it up, and fixing things. Did you even know that you had milk in that fridge that was four months out of date? _That…was…sick!_ And I think something in there growled at me! I've heard of aging food, but that's ridiculous!" Raven was indeed right, as all of the Titan's were stunned by Raze's behavior, not mocking them in his usual wicked way, but rather in a friendly way, acting like a… well, a person.

"I am wondering," said Starfire, being the first to voice their puzzlement. "Are you not the same being with the fearsome red eyes, and drool coming from your mouth? You reminded of me of Morgoleth the Wicked, being so very scary looking." Raze scrunched his face up, and shook his head.

"Can't say I've heard of him before, but I think I get what you're driving at. I can assure you however, that I'm the same guy. I'm just a little more…relaxed, that's all. Well," he said, standing, "You're all awake, and seeing as how I'm fairly sure that you dislike my presence, I'll be on my way." So saying, he snapped, and all of his belongings, trench coat, boots, and gloves all swirled around him in a fanfare of black garments, and with a quick flare of light, like a camera's flash, and a low audible pop, he was once again wearing all of his stuff. He then pointed into a distant corner, and his katana and sheath came swooping in, which he snatched from the air, and slowly put the sword away. Then, he slipped the sheath into the inner folds of his trench coat. Before he had time to move, Robin stood up.

"Wait a minute!" Raze paused, and slid his shades down to the tip of his nose.

"If you want to fight me again Sparky, forget about it. I think you understand now that you _can't_ beat me." Robin shook his head.

"All we want to know is who you are. We don't want to fight, and I know you think we're a waste of your time, but I think you at least owe us an explanation." Raze thought on this, running though a list of options through his mind.

"Indeed little man? You want to know _what_ I am? That's…asking a lot…oh yes, _quite_ a lot. I might be willing, but I do not do so free of charge. Information, my dear Titan's, like everything else in the world around you, comes at a price. After all, _you_ do owe _me_, not the other way around."

"Owe you," Cyborg pressed, "For what? Owe you for getting our butts kicked! Yeah, you're right, but we'd be happy to pay you back, if we could get our hands on you!"

"No doubt you would, but I'm afraid that it goes far deeper than that, my cybernetic counterpart. First, I've helped motivate you into betterment and improvement. Do you deny that you've all become sensationally stronger since you've met me? How has villain hunting been lately? Have you found things…well…easier?" The Titan's thought back. Recently, their minds had been preoccupied with this crazy guy, so most other troublemakers had slipped into the background. Now that he spoke of it though, he was right. The last time they had fought against a criminal, things were resolved much faster, and without incident. Raze watched their faces, lifting one boot up, and planting it on a nearby chair, leaning forward.

"Don't bother answering. Your words will undoubtedly say no, but your true thoughts and expressions are far more honest. Now, not only that, but after doing so spiteful a thing as picking a fight with my stereo, I rescued all of you, saved your lives with emergency treatment, and even so graciously cleaned your house out. Really, can you honestly think of a _single_ reason as to why I should explain my background, to a group of almost complete strangers?"

"I can think of something," Raven told him. Raze turned his head in her direction, encouraging her to speak with a nod. "You promised to tell us about who you are, and where you received your powers. Or did you think I'd forget?" Raze gave a nasty grin.

"Actually, I don't ever recall _promising_ per say. I just said there might be time… and oh, would you look at that…I'm already late again. Unless of course you can think of something that you could give me, something that I would be otherwise unable to obtain, that I would want?" The Titan's exchanged glances, coming up with blank empty stares. Raze gave a tittering laugh. "I didn't think so. Oh well for you." He began stepping backwards, edging to the window, in a backwards walk.

"Believe you me; even _if_ you knew what I was…would that really change anything? You still wouldn't like me, and I doubt that you ever will. But I'm not asking you too. That has nothing to do with this. I hope now though, that you all understand things a bit better. We've fought, and I've won. And now that I've hung around here for as long as I have, I've decided upon a whim that I've enjoyed toying with you so much, that I'm resolved to stay, to make a niche for myself right here. I bet you're all _thrilled_ to hear that. Ha! But now that you know that I may have a hand in future destruction, you realize the futility of action against me, which is good, as you now have your limitations. So, if I had been lying about blowing the city to smithereens, which I very easily could have been, all you five could do is to watch helplessly I think, yes? After all…what really could you do? Toss yourselves in my path, in a vain attempt to slow me? Commendable but ultimately useless. And the next time you are in a rush to face me down…_remember those eyes!"_

These last few words sent a shock through all the Titan's, feeling that heartless and piercing stare, boring into them, even now. With them stunned for the moment, Raze kicked behind him, shattering the window. With a bound and a wild grin, he leapt out; the five Titan's rushing to the broken glass, looking down. They could still see him, standing on the craggy shore far below, sliding his sunglasses back into place. He sent a salute up their way, and they could here his voice echoing all around them. "Rock on, Titan's! I'll see you when I see you!" And with that, the very spot that Raze was standing upon exploded outward in a column of roaring flames, lasting for no more than five seconds. When it was gone…so was he.


	8. Never Say Die

**Chapter 8:** Never Say Die

"So…" Beast Boy asked aloud, five minutes after the disappearance of their enemy, "That's it?"

"I guess so. What else can we do?" Cyborg answered, all of a sudden feeling rather down and disconsolate, "I can't believe it but…we can't beat him. Everything we've tried didn't work, and almost got us killed. This guy is just _too_ powerful."

"And he was taking it easy," Raven added. "When we first fought, that wasn't his real strength. What's more, I get the feeling that when he attacked us as…whatever he was…he was _still_ holding back. From the power I could sense from him, he could have destroyed all of us with no effort. No matter how much we don't like it, we still have to accept it. He is _way_ out of our league."

From everything they were saying, it was a relentless pain they all felt. For once in their lives, they encountered a villain, someone who liked causing pain, someone who destroyed things because he could, had defeated them, not once, not twice, but three times in battle. Not only that but being elusive of capture, and having the malicious and pride-wounding audacity to save their lives after he had injured them, only so he could continue his own twisted game, but he made them seem like children time and again. Even knowing that he had stayed in their house was maddening. But now…now it was worse than all that. Much worse.

They had to face facts with the one thing they never thought they would ever have to do. Something they would refuse to do. They had to accept the fact that as they were, they could not beat him. He was too great an obstacle for them to overcome. So true and damning was this, that for once, not even Robin tried to object. It was just the absolute truth, and he could not deny it any longer.

They all sat in their living room, unable to say anything or do anything that might break the silence that was intruding upon them. No one could think of anything to continue the already downbeat conference. Finally, someone cleared their throat.

"Well, I don't know 'bout yall," Cyborg announced, standing up a bit straighter, looking around, "But the next time he shows up, I'm gonna punch him right in the face. We might not be able to beat him, but…so what" When he does come around, I'm _still_ gonna fight him. No way I'm gonna let him scare _me_ away. We may get our butts kicked again, but it might stop him from hurting anyone else and attacking the City."

Robin hastily agreed, wanting to say the same thing himself. Secretly, he felt somewhat bad about the horror his teammates and friends had gone through, after their last battle. After all, it had been him who suggested that they target the stereo system, in hopes of distracting Raze long enough to beat him. It wouldn't have seemed right for him to say that he wasn't done yet, and propose something else, another plan that might very easily get them all killed.

"You're right," Robin concurred, "It's our job to protect the city, so if that means trying to bring Raze down, even though we might not be a match for him, then that's what we'll do. No matter what, I'm not going to let him win by using fear to hold us back."

"Yes," Starfire cried, the whole group getting dramatic and filled with a growing sense of flickering hope, "We mustn't give up, even now! True, he may be more powerful, and full of wickedness, but we will still oppose him to protect everyone!"

"Yeah, and the next time he shows his face around here," Beast Boy added, jumping around, showing off his moves, trying to flex his wiry muscles, "I'll show him what I can really do! That'll teach him to mess with us!" The only one who didn't add a loud declaration was Raven, mainly because such things were not her style. Her expression, though expressionless most of the time, spoke for her. However, she still felt a twinge of something. Perhaps fighting wasn't what must be done. Maybe…something else. She was unsure.

"Anyway," Cyborg put in, now that everyone had agreed that no matter what, despite all the defeats, they weren't going to back down from their enemy, "I guess the question is…where do we go from here? Are we gonna tire ourselves out with training to get better, or are we going to just go on with our regular lives, and move only when he does? The way I see it, it doesn't matter what we do really. Against something like that, no amount if training is gonna make us ready."  
"You're probably right. I think the best thing we can do right now," Robin answered, "is to act normally. To wait for him come out into the open. Getting all strung out anticipating an attack from him isn't going to help us. We know he'll be back eventually, and chances are he'll be watching us in the meanwhile, but if we let him rattle us, then he'll win all the more easily next time. So, we are just going to play it cool, and try not to worry." This was agreed by all. They couldn't be in any shape to fight if they were constantly wound up about when he might pop out of the woodwork again.

As they were concluding their meeting, far above their heads, in the shadows of one of the corners of their ceiling, sat a figure shrouded in darkness. He was watching and listening. When the Titan's finished their little powwow, he flashed a jagged grin, his luminous crimson eyes gleaming, as he silently faded into the very blackness he was concealing himself in.

_Quite some time later…_

Just as they had agreed to do, the Titan's went back to their daily lives, leaving all thoughts of the last few weeks behind. They no longer worried about them being watched, or whenever Raze might strike at the City or send a message to summon them. Nope. They were calm. It was clear that he was no doubt keeping an eye on them, keeping his presence concealed. True, it was a little creepy that he might have been hovering just around a corner, or even in their rooms, but they never saw any trace of him. Not even Raven could sense his essence anywhere throughout the Tower. And as for when he may strike at them, they didn't worry. As with any other criminal, there just was no telling. Sitting at the computer terminal, waiting for the alarm to sound was no way to live, not when there was so much to do. And did stuff they did. For in his absence, many interesting and terrible things did occur.

Not long after Raze left for the last time, Slade made his first personal appearance after quite sometime, not even hinting about his own encounter with Raze. Furthermore, the Titan's discovered a strange girl by the name of Terra, who wielded great power over the earth and stone. They offered her to join the Titan's, something she did after a time. Unfortunately, it was learned soon after that she had been working for Slade, his new apprentice after Robin had rejected him. Apparently, Slade had trained Terra to use her powers, making her all the more formidable, and Slade had her attack, and try to destroy the Titan's.

It was apparently a great success, at least until the Titan's struck back, defeating Terra, who in turn, fought against Slade. After a little help from Beast Boy, she put an end to the diabolical villain herself by hurling him into a pool of magma from a volcano that was boiling under the city, ready to erupt. To save the City and everyone, and as an act to redeem herself, Terra used her powers to seal up the volcano, but ended up sacrificing herself, petrifying her into a stone statue. That was a dark day, but the Titan's carried on, knowing there will be more plots in the future.

Now, they were in the midst of investigating disturbances of the H.I.V.E. a school that taught skilled people to use their powers in evil ways. After foiling the leader, Brother Blood, and bringing his academy headquarters to the ground, the Titan's were currently on the watch for anymore activity, as after the attack, Brother Blood himself eluded them. Naturally, other things happened in that period of time, such as Starfire was to be married on her home planet of Tamaran, but that turned out to be nothing more than a deceptive trick of her misguided sister, Blackfire.

Then there was the time when a haunting image of Slade appeared before Robin, taunting, and dealing psychological damage. And most recently, Raven had been mislead by a mysterious entity within a book, calling himself Malchior, which turned into a cruel ruse, playing on Raven's emotions. As it turned out, Malchior turned out to be a Dread Dragon who had been cursed into the book, and after teaching Raven dark magic, she accidentally released him. However, his plans failed, as she managed to reseal him in the book, but that encounter had shaken Raven. But that was all in the past, and the future was upon them.

A good deal of time had passed at this point, and the Titan's were once more content and settled with their lives, nothing being too much for them to handle. But something soon happened to bring them back to the fact that there was something out there mightier then they. Around midday, they received an alarm from a disturbance in the City, caused by members of the H.I.V.E., the three top students, the same band of miscreants that had given the Titan's trouble in the past. They arrived on the scene with all speed, finding the familiar crew having a field day on the streets, breaking what they wanted, stealing what they wanted.

These three delinquents included Mammoth, a huge immensely powerful Neanderthal-like young man, while not all that smart, but excelling at using brute force. Then, the technological genius, Gizmo, the small little fellow with a huge mouth, who has an array of highly powerful tech at his command. And lastly, more or less the leader, came Jinx, a very wiry girl, who has a tendency to hit her enemies with wave after wave of pick scythes of energy, as well as bad luck.

In someways, the H.I.V.E. were the shadow opposites of the Titan's, but far too arrogant for their own good. They were so convinced of their own superiority, that they left themselves open to counterattacks. As the Titan's came touching down, the H.I.V.E. turned to meet them. "Well well," Jinx commented with wry amusement, "Look who decided to show up and ruin the party. Jeez, why are you losers always trying to spoil our fun?"

"Breaking stuff is fun for you?" Beast Boy asked, "Haven't you even tried a Gamestation?"

"Sure have clodheads," Gizmo cackled, "But I'll steal another one after we're done kicking your tail!" With this prebattle banter complete, Jinx called out, "Attack pattern Beta!" and the H.I.V.E. kids deployed. Robin shouted, "Titan's go!" and it was on! Mammoth started things off by seizing up a nearby parked car, and hurled at the incoming Titan's, growling and grinning all the while. Raven was able to catch it before it impacted against anything, and sent it right back. Mammoth was able to dodge, but the same could not be said for the giant tyrannosaurus tail to his left, that connected with tremendous force, knocking him into a building, creating a print.

Cyborg was going one on one with Gizmo, who was swooshing about with his jet pack, launching missiles and lasers as Cyborg evaded. Starfire was lobbing Starbolts down at Jinx, who was somersaulting away, as well as avoiding occasional swats with Robin's staff. They traded blows, the battle short, but it was clear once again that the Titan's were gaining the upper hand. There had been a time when this same trio had managed to defeat all five Titan's. But now, no chance. They were working as a unified team, aiding one another, defending each other, and attacking together. Victory seemed assured.

Just as the H.I.V.E. was picking themselves up off the ground, and the Titan's were ready to deliver them to jail, the sky began to cloud over at a rapid pace. The speed these ominous harbingers covered the open sky above with was unnatural, and in mere moments, the previously nice day had been eclipsed by clouds that could have very easily been mistaken for black. Rolling and swelling upon one another, swirling together in their shadowy ballet. Arriving as well were the great rumbles of thunder, with spears of lightning leaping forth.

"Huh?" Mammoth grunted, looking up, rubbing his now sore head, "What's goin' on?" The Titan's too were gazing up, but they were not asking themselves the same question. They didn't need to. In their minds and hearts…they knew. They weren't sure, but they had a pretty good idea.

"Be ready," Robin instructed everyone, as the Titan's became poised, waiting for their enemy to show himself. While still mystified by the rapid cloud cover, Jinx looked round at the Titan's. They were surprisingly calm, not talking, just staring at the sky with stern faces, their eyes flicking back and forth, hoping to spot something.

"Be ready," she asked, somewhat put out, "For what?" No one answered her. However, there _was_ a reaction.

Out of nowhere, there came a horrendous voice, thundering around everyone, echoing down all the streets of the City, shaking the glass panes of the skyscrapers, and making everyone's blood chill, as if a being of gargantuan stature had shouted at the top of its voice.

And what it had so awesomely declared was… _"INCOMING!"_ At once, anticipating a strike, the Titan's bolted for cover. Good thing too, as when this bellowing word blasted around them, the skies themselves opened up their absolute fury, and lightning bolts came pouring down from above, as thick as hard rain, accompanied by the deafening roar of thunderclaps multiplied by a thousand. The H.I.V.E. kids were caught completely unaware, not anticipating nor ever logically conceiving of a sudden electrical downpour of such severe magnitude, and they too went scrambling to escape. In an instant, the surrounding area began to rip apart under the awesome power, buildings began to split and shatter in clouds of concrete and glass, metal melted into shapeless lumps, cars and lights blew up in a fiery set of explosions, and the ground quaked due to the extreme ferocity of this barrage.

When it was over, only after a short time, everyone poked their heads out, to see if things were clear. They were, but the attack had left its mark. The amount of damage was very near mind-numbing. The entire city block that the two groups had been battling on was no more. Almost completely leveled. The streets were unnavigable, trenches and huge swells of concrete having been added. Every vehicle, be it an automobile, a motorcycle, a bicycle, even a skateboard didn't exist anymore. Blow to smithereens, or reduced to an unidentifiable lump on the sidewalk. Store fronts and buildings had suffered grievous harm, several buildings structurally unsound, anything inside of them having been incinerated. Everything that remained now was radiating smoke, there being a most foul stench in the air, a putrid cloud of burnt material.

As the last remnants of the echoes of thunder faded away, the Titian's rose, keeping their eyes open, gazing around, knowing it wouldn't be long now until things started to go down. And they were right, it wasn't long at all. While the H.I.V.E. were meekly peering out and around, wondering what in the world just happened, the voice from before, now quite mellow, and not nearly as overpowering and forceful spoke again, from high above.

"Ah man," its tone mildly disappointed but with the telltale note of sarcasm, "After a bombardment like that, I was hoping to fry all of you instantly. My aim is getting worse these days, it surely is." All eyes turned round and elevated. There, crouching beside a melted satellite dish, gazing down at the gathering with a pair of wicked and mirthful red eyes was…him. Now that he had their undivided attention, Raze lifted a hand, giving everyone a basic wave.

"Hiya!" he called down, scanning the many pairs of eyes looking his way. No one sent back a greeting of any kind, but the H.I.V.E. group had something's to say.

"Who's that guy?" Mammoth grunted, lifting a sausage-sized finger, though the gesture was rather unnecessary, as everyone present saw him, "Did he do that?"

"Never seen the Boogerface before in my life," Gizmo yelled, "But _they_ sure have!" His assessment was indeed correct, for he was watching the Titan's, who in turn were watching the newcomer with unflinching faces. Not only that, but they weren't issuing a challenge or a demand of identification. Jinx picked up on this too, and while keeping an eye on this stranger, glanced over at the poised Titan's.

"A friend of yours?" Robin nodded, not taking his eyes away.

"His name is Raze. We don't know who he is, but he's powerful, and he's after us. You three better get out of here, as you can't beat him. Consider yourselves lucky he showed up when he did."

"Leave? Not a chance! If he's a badguy, then maybe we can get him to help us get rid of you five permanently. That would sure make things nicer around here." But before she could turn her attention upward, and offer an alliance, Raze's nasty laugh silenced everyone.

"You'd be wise to listen to Sparky there. He's a bit too serious at times, but in this instance, he's right on the money. It would be rational to leave now, as you three wouldn't even be _remotely_ close to the point of _beginning_ to make even the _slightest_ of blemishes on _my_ skin. And as for joining your so-called…_ahem_…organization…you'd best wait for the Earth in its entirety to change into solid gold, for there is a better chance of _that_ happening than you gaining my services. So, if you three would run along now, like good little children, so that we might get on with our business, it would be much appreciated."

This arrogant and boastful attitude didn't sit too well with the three H.I.V.E. kids, and that went doubly for him basically spelling out that they were weak.

"You got some nerve!" Jinx shouted up at him, now quite angry again, "Do you know who we even are?" Gizmo however, had a much more direct approach.

"Ah, lets just waste this scuzbrain, and get out of here!" And without even waiting for agreement, he pressed a few buttons on his control, which launched two heat-seeking missiles up at Raze. Speaking of whom, he casually watched their sluggish approach, all the while mentally running through a list of possible things he could do to terrify the fight out of these punks. He opted for a demonstration.

As quick and as precise as you please, Raze snatched the two incoming bombs out of the air, and long before they could detonate, he ground them up with his fingers, mangling them to uselessness, scraps of metal flying every which way.

"I suppose a warning isn't going to be sufficient here," he halfway muttered, "Then I guess a display is in order. Prepare yourselves!" The H.I.V.E., while a bit shocked at the swift dispatch of the missiles, weren't about to back down.

"Bring it on!" Jinx called, poised for a strike. However, before anything could be brought, there was an objection.

"Don't do it," Robin called out, "He's way stronger than he looks! And he won't hesitate to kill you! Get out of here before he attacks!" Raze beat the H.I.V.E. teens to the rebuttal.

"It's their choice to engage Sparky, not yours. They don't understand the extent of what they are messing with, so they must be made aware of it through pain and humiliation. So hold your horses, as there is plenty of me to go around. You five will have your turn momentarily." With that, as well as a swoosh, Raze leapt down to the street, his trench coat fluttering, now facing off against these sorry excuses of opponents. "Anytime you feel you got the guts…" he invited, simply waiting.

"How about…NOW!" The H.I.V.E. commenced an attack, spreading out, and coming in from all sides. The battle, so-called, was mercifully quick. Gizmo left the ground with his jetpack, and began blasting the area around Raze with laser bolts, blowing stuff up left and right. Raze countered this by swatting and deflecting all the close incoming attacks with his bare hands, back up at the little kid, he getting fried by half a dozen of his own lasers. Jinx leapt over his charred form, tossing several blades of pink energy at Raze. Again, he lifted his hand out, and caught all three of the scythes, holding them back as if they were made of paper.

"So sorry sweetie," he told her, looking over the tops of his glasses, "but bad luck? It's…inconsequential to me." As for his retaliation, it was simple. He hurled back the blades, as well as sending about fifty new ones, of his own creation, mirroring her attack, these being black and silver in color, making Jinx run for cover. She avoided it, but the building that had been nearby was sliced up, and reduced to hamburger. Mammoth meanwhile, had gone searching, and was now charging up, a city bus in his arms. "I'm gonna squash you like a bug!" he roared, and it did indeed look as if he would follow through with the threat. Alas, he did not.

As he swung, at the last possible second, Raze's left arm flashed up, and there was a grinding crunch. The bus had connected with his forearm, and stopped, denting in quite a ways. "You're strong," he commented, to the bewildered Simian, "but in regards to your comparison, I think _you_ are the insect here…not I." With a shove, he pushed the bus off, but Mammoth still held on. Then, in a mind-boggling and yet extremely awesome display of dexterity and acrobatic prowess, Raze leapt into the air, turning around and around while horizontal, arcing towards the bus. As he was landing, though it was near indiscernible, he planted a kick into the side of the vehicle, more or less pulverizing it, as well as sending it hurtling out of Mammoth's hands. He still stood there, watching it spiral up and away over the City skyline, before he felt something the could have very easily been a rocketing meteorite slam into his guts, and sent him flying back in a beeline, stopped only by a series of stout walls.

Touching down after such trivial exertion, Raze tossed his coat out, shaking his head. He then glanced at the Titan's, who were waiting for him to turn that near invincible wrath upon them.

"Sad, isn't it? But I'm sure it's familiar to you five. The fruitless and vain attempts to hinder my progress by tossing oneself directly into the path of the tempest. Useless but yet amusing, which makes it tolerable."

"Hey," Jinx shouted out, the three of them regaining themselves, their confidence having taken some damage, but not broken yet, "We're not letting you leave after that. We're going to make you pay for all of that." Before the other two could throw in their own personal style of "Ditto," Raze craned his neck around, an eyebrow rising.

"You three are still here? Didn't you get the message that you can't beat me? Whatever. I'll tell you what, why don't you take this opportunity to leave now, while my primary attention is fixated elsewhere. Call it your _lucky day_."

"You must think we're pretty stupid to leave now," Gizmo blurted out, "Right when we've got you on the ropes!

"You're right, I _do_ think you three are hovering dangerously close to the line of stupidity, and that goes doubly for you, if you honestly think that. But, I haven't the patience to play with you any further. So, for the last time…_leave_."

"Nuh uh," Mammoth grunted, "And now I'm gonna…" That was as far as he got. Apparently, the three of them, with their constant badgering and refusals to depart, had crossed the line.

Suddenly, as if a switch had been flipped, Raze exploded outward with searing red fire, the initial blast looking like a bomb exploding from inside of him. Not only that, but there was a frightfully strong blast of hot wind, swirling around him. In one lightning fast motion, his face now showing clear signs of aggravation and rage, he whirled about, raking one hand of slightly curled fingers upward diagonally, from right to left, and thundering out, _**"BEGONE!"**_ At once, the winds grew even greater, their intensity increasing one hundred fold in a heartbeat, now screaming and painfully stinging around the Titan's, who were very near blown away. The H.I.V.E. however, got the _full_ force of it, making tornadoes and typhoons seem tame by contrast. So powerful were these winds, that not only did several nearby buildings bend and crack under the strain, but all three of them were swept up into the sky, shouting in surprise, and were carried away, out of the range of view.

And instantly, as if that switched had been turned off, it all vanished. The fiery glow, the anger, and the hurricane times ten. Once again, it was a tranquil and nice day.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, his mood once again serene and cheerful, "Some people just aren't good at taking hints. Sometimes, you just have to give them a little…nudge."

"You call _that_ a nudge," Beast Boy exclaimed, "You practically blew the whole City away!" Raze glanced over his shoulder once again, taking in the sights of the increasingly dilapidated section of the City. This was followed by a shrug.

"Well, one mans nudge is another mans catastrophe. A guy just has to try it and see. But I've already told you that before. I think. Anyways…well…here we are! Face to face again, after all that time. Ooo, I feel all tingly. How have you five been since our last little…snafu? Recovered fully, back in the pink and all that?"

"You were probably watching us," Raven dourly responded, "Why don't you tell us?"

"Oh, touchy today I see. Well, yes, I won't lie nor beat around the bush. I've been watching, and listening, and have been enjoying the rollercoaster of a drama that you all partake in. Quite a performance. So…Sparky…Sladey-Boy is gone, hmm? You must feel better about that? And Terra, such an interesting girl. Quite the wildcard. It's a shame really, what happened. Now, if only there was a person around that had the unique power of manipulating stone, that could perhaps undo what had been done. I say, what a conundrum!" As he pretended to delve deeply into the matter, from behind, a stone throne of extraordinary size and lavish design arose behind him. He plopped down, waiting to see if the Titan's got the message. They did, but none more than Beast Boy.

"You mean…you can bring Terra back? Turn her back to normal?" Raze chuckled, standing once again, and waving the stone chair away.

"My, you are a smart one indeed. And to answer…yes, I could. But will I? No. I will not." That must have hurt, a horrible trick intended to play with ones heart and head, and it delivered as it had been designed. Beast Boy's face fell apart, his eyes growing teary, struggling to fight back the sorrow. He must have failed, for in addition to sorrow, there must have been a good amount of rage, which unleashed. Before the other Titan's could hold him back, in a furious roar, Beast Boy transformed into his Beast Man animal, and bolted directly at Raze intending to thrash, and perhaps kill him. It was all for naught. The moment he came in range, Raze struck back, fast and hard, his expression firm, clearly not playing games, and delivered a single roundhouse kick to the lower jaw of the creature.

Beast Boy changed back at once; Robin and Cyborg caught him, and set him down. He was hurt and able to stand, but didn't. He just sat there, in a dejected pile, feeling low and terrible inside. It showed.

"You're rotten man," Cyborg yelled at Raze, hate in his human eye, "You just love making people suffer any way that you can, don't ya? Buildin' up his hopes, and then breakin' them! That's just wrong!"

"You are most horrible," Starfire added angrily, "One should never hurt another's feelings with such vile lies!" Robin finished with an unmasked look of loathing.

"You're disgusting." Raze meanwhile, hadn't moved, his eyes were closed, just standing there, as if he had been blocking out these outcries. Now that they had finished, his eyes flashed open at once. The look in those crimson rings was enough to make the Titan's, even Beast Boy, flinch. They were grim, unwavering, and completely somber. The stare of seriousness.

"The truth comes out at last," he said finally, his tone of voice matching his eyes, "I already knew it, but I wanted to hear it from _your_ mouths. So that's what you truly think of me? That I'm a piece of sadistic slime? Perhaps in a way…I am. But you seem to assume a lot about my motives. Such as in every action that I take is meant to prolong and intensify the suffering of others. For example, I said that I had the power to undo what had been done, but I won't. I never said anything about not doing it because I merely wanted to toy with the kids mind."

"Then why not?" Robin demanded, "What's stopping you?" Raze started to advance toward them, in a familiar gait, everything about him being grave.

"I take it that you all seem to think that I relish in the pain and agony of others? And sometimes…I do actually. But you all, deep down in your minds, see me as some manner of twisted supreme being, able to bend the very fabric of time itself to my own personal whims. While that would be interesting, that is not the case. _Nothing,_ and I do mean _nothing_ out there has that much power or freedom. Myself included. And there are certain matters out there, in a scope of things beyond what you could ever dream of imagining, that are beyond my reach. I never lied. I actually told the truth. I can, but I can't. You asked what's stopping me? Call it a set of laws that even I must follow."

"What laws?" Beast Boy, now regaining his feet asked, his voice still shaky, "Why can't you?" Raze stared back at him.

"If I was to explain it, chances are, you still wouldn't understand it. I will say this though. What I meant was, for me to transform a person into stone, and back again, is well within my abilities. But in my mind, there is a tingle, a feeling if you will, something that tells me _not_ to intervene. I don't pick and choose this, it merely happens. Meaning, that something else is _meant_ to happen, that may _yet_ happen. Should I interfere in matters such as this, out of my own benefit, then there may be consequences, altering the natural order of things, which may cause a drastic backlash on all of reality. Do you follow?"

"Do you expect us to believe," Raven inquired, "That Terra holds certain universal significance, so much so that you can't change her back?" Raze's gaze now shifted to Raven.

"I don't expect you to believe anything that I am saying. Accept what you want, but know that if things had been left in _my_ hands, I wouldn't let her have become stone in the first place. If she had joined your team, then I would have someone else to mess with. Speaking of which, I'd like to leave that sullen subject behind, and get on with things. So, I take it you know why I have come today?"

"To break some more stuff," Cyborg assumed, crouching into a fighting position, getting prepared for action, "Or to mess with our heads?"

"Ah, you know me too well. Hmm, choices choices…which should it be? Well, I guess causing more havoc is what I am in the mood for today, so if you five will excuse me…" With that, he turned away, and started to stroll off, his hands already starting to glow. The Titan's jumped and dashed ahead of him, planting themselves in his path. Raze paused, his hands still gleaming, as he scanned their faces. "Well now, what is this? You all stand poised and tense, as if readying yourselves for combat. Surely you don't intend to try and fight me? What is it…the _fourth _time?"

"We are resolved to stop you," Starfire told him sternly, "No matter what you do."

"Such madness I am bearing witness to today. Tell me, do none of you remember what happened last time? How I very near annihilated you all? Do you remember those eyes? Are you _that _eager to fight that again?"

"We know we can't beat you," Robin explained to him, "And it might get us killed, but we _are not_ going to stand by and let you destroy any more! No matter what happens, no matter what you change into, we are _still _going to fight you!"

"Yes, I'm getting that feeling from you all right now. I can't say it's all that smart, but if that's what you want...I accept your challenge. Realize though, that this time I will be showing you the fullest extent of what I can do. In so doing, one or all of you might be vaporized. I hope you can live with that. I've tried teaching you, but you just haven't gotten it yet. Too bad." With a sigh, Raze turned about, and with a snap, roaring out of the ground all over, with the rumbling humming resonance, came his speakers and amplifier, once again looking flawless and functional. As he adjusted the level of volume, maxing out all the settings, he glanced back, to gauge the Titan's.

"Last chance to back out," he told them, "And believe me, considering whom you are facing, as well as the highly probable outcome to this insanity, I doubt that anyone would think less of you if you decided to leave now. What do you say?" The Titan's didn't move. Beast Boy, still having a tearful expression in his eyes, as well as a glint of wrath, moved to the head, glaring at Raze.

"Do your worst," he firmly told him. Finding this hilarious, Raze began to laugh like the madman he seemed to be, it rolling across the abandoned sector of the City.

"Not a smart thing to request of _me_, as my worst is something that would assuredly scar you for the remainder of your lives. Not that those are going to be much longer anyways. All right though, you want my…_worst?_ _**YOU GOT IT!" **_So booming, his eyes shut, and his head lowered onto his chest. After a few moments, he began to radiate a horrendous black light, growing more and more sinister every moment, covering everything in its dark blaze. Slowly, his head rose once again, and his eyes fell open. Once more, they were those chilling red, glaring back, but now, there was a telltale sign of sinful wickedness present. He was also grinning, his regular fangs already starting to transform. Gradually, he tilted his head back, and as he now stared above, he opened his mouth, took in as much air as he could muster, and began to roar up at the sky.

The sound was absolutely overpowering and deafening, the sort of noise one would hear from a horrible creature of cataclysmic size, unleashing all of its built up primal rage. So intense and horrific was this, the whole world seemed to quiver in fear, shaking down to its very core, the ground quaking. The skies turned a midnight black with scarlet clouds, a blistering wind of drastic strength began whipping wildly, and even pieces of debris that were scattered about started to rise up off the ground, lifting towards the darkened sky. The City trembled, and the Titan's clung to one another, feeling the awesome and terrifying force of Raze summoning the depths of his unholy power, bringing it to the surface in all its abominable fury. It was so intense, that they could feel his power rushing over them, an energy of indescribable enormity, practically sending them flying.

Finally, after this horrifying surge, as his power reached its maximum, things started to die down, the wind slackening and the ground stabilizing, though the ominous sky remained. Now, there were corrupt slashes of shadowy lightning ripping here and there, the dull explosion of thunder shaking the earth. Never before had the Titan's witnessed nor felt such a terrible concentration of insurmountable evil. And they could now see him, as the smoke and dust cleared. He stood, with a black fiery aura about him, sending out an unbearable heat. The sheer force of him was too much for the surrounding environment to stand. All objects nearby had been crushed into nothingness, while the surrounding buildings, and even the ground itself was wrecked, shattered apart.

"Why did you have to say that," Cyborg asked Beast Boy, breaking the stunned and terror filled silence, "You just had to provoke him, didn't you? Now he's _really_ gonna kill us!" There came no answer, everyone's attention was fixated on the now approaching fiend. No one could say anything. In their minds, they were each thinking that this was it, that their lives were about to be snuffed out.

"If this is the end," Robin announced, still very much afraid, but mustering his courage, "Then I'm going out fighting."

"Me too," Beast Boy added next, surprisingly. His face still showed his determined frame of mind.

"As will I!" Starfire added.

"An' I'm going in there right with yall," Cyborg informed them. Raven was still observing their foe. "We may be afraid," she quietly said, "But we won't run." Now that everyone agreed that they would go down together, as one they faced Raze, who was now quite close to them, still grinning in that evil way.

"Aw, how cute," his voice now taking on a demonic quality to it, ridiculing and poisonous, with a dark baritone echoing, "But reckless courage is wasted against me. _**NOW YOU DIE!"**_ And with this, now brandishing a flaming blade, loosing an ungodly banshee scream, he came surging forward, his blackness enveloping everyone. All the lights went out.

_As the blackness fades…_

No one was exactly sure how long the blackout lasted, but as quickly as it had swallowed them up, it was gone. The Titan's blinked, gazing around in complete surprise and astonishment, wondering what on earth had transpired. An excellent question indeed. The darkness was gone; the sky was a luscious blue once again, with a handful of soft cushion-like white clouds. They stood exactly where they had before everything had gone dark, in the middle of a ruined street in the City. Except now, the ruined part was gone. The street looked none the worse for wear. The same could also be said for the rest of the block. All effects of Raze powering up, and his ferocious lightning storm were no more. And speaking of whom, he himself was nowhere in their immediate sight.

"Are we…dead?" Beast Boy cautiously asked everyone, checking himself for solidness. No one got the chance to answer.

"Not yet," came a voice from above. The Titan's, still bewildered at once looked round. There was Raze, standing atop a nearby building once again, grinning. And what's more, he looked normal as well, his ghastly features already gone. "You still stand upon the world of the living, though it is rather impressive that any of you stand at all. Hah!" Casually, he stepped off the ledge, and began to lightly descend down to the street, touching down beside them. They were all far too stunned to react. With the sweep of a hand, he removed his sunglasses, giving the Titan's a wild grin.

"I must say, that you five dazzle me. You truly were willing to face that creature again, and stare nothingness itself in the face. Perhaps you are further along that I thought…" No answer, their jaws quite literally hanging open. He noticed. "You may wish to close those, lest you start drooling all over yourselves. Embarrassing, especially if someone gets a picture." Finally, someone spoke.

"What…happened?" Raven asked, staring hard at him, as he looked so very normal once again. Normal for him anyways. "Why that's simple, my dear Raven. What happened was that you five have once again passed my very simple test. Give yourselves a round of applause!"

"A test?" Starfire questioned, totally lost on how a test could be in anyway related to facing down that frightfully evil calamity.

"Exactly. All that you just bore witness to was a little exercise. Nothing more. I'll explain, before you all burst from anticipation. As you so disdainfully pointed out earlier, I had no doubt been watching you for quite some time since our last meeting. The fact is that I was observing you only moments after I departed on our previous encounter. Thus, I already heard your daring proclamation. You know…the one about even though you couldn't win, you'd still fight me. Ringing a bell perhaps?"

"But," Beast Boy sputtered, "That was only a couple of minutes after you left! You mean you came right back?"

"Of course. I left you all with the room filled with negativity; I wasn't going to leave until I saw how you reacted. But I was pleasantly surprised I must say. That was quite the momentous decision you all agreed upon, and it made me glow with pride. I didn't train any losers, whiners, or quitters. At least, I didn't _think_ I did. Thanks for proving me right. I do so _like_ being right. Naturally, I had to be certain that you _really_ meant it."

"What do you mean by that?" Robin demanded, with a bit of touchiness and anger surfacing, "Did you think we wouldn't follow through?"

"In a way…yes. You must understand, that when one makes bold declarations such as that, they may not have meant it, in the ironclad sense. It's one thing to decide upon something resolutely when you are in your living room, but quite another to stick to your guns in the face of certain death. I had to see if you were all talk and no backbone, dropping your own principles the moment absolute evil stepped forward or if you would stay course even to the end. And to my delight, you delivered. That's excellent. Never say die, even in the face of total annihilation."

After witnessing something so unnerving, the Titan's were still a bit nervous, knowing that they had survived, and that it had all been a mentally disturbing game. "That's it?" Cyborg wanted to know, secretly thinking that there was more to it.

"That's it. Still have you all a bit freaked out eh? What, you didn't really think I would release _that much_ of my strength just to fight you five? Please…that, dear friends, is what is known as overkill. About one hundred times worth." He turned away, casting a hand over the City, looking impeccable and sparkling once again. "I've taken the liberty of undoing the damage that I inflicted during the course of the exercise. So, no hard feelings right?" As he was speaking, his body started to turn translucent, vanishing, slowly turning invisible.

"Well, I must dash. Things to do and all that. Don't worry though; I'll be back _much_ sooner this time. Count on it. Adios and goodbye!" And with that, he was gone fading into nothing, leaving the Titan's alone, feeling rather edgy, and more than slightly relived.


	9. We Mortals Fight!

_**Note: Hey everyone. Sorry this took so long to update, but my computer crashed a while back and wiped all my stuff out. I had back-ups, but I had to recreate a lot of stuff, including Chapter 9 here, which I had almost had done. Bummer. But here it is now, better than ever. Hopefully, it won't take me another six months or whatever to update again. Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 9:** We Mortals Fight!

It was quite a length of time when things _finally_ began to return to normal for the Titan's. True, they had not been harmed; save the minor injuries inflicted by the three H.I.V.E. villains, but there _still_ was damaged given. Not physical, but mental, or psychological as it is also known. After all, what they had been through was something that no one, be they teenager or adult, should ever be faced with. That horror…that unbridled terror and brush with death. Yes, it had all be just an elaborate test, and yes, they had passed said test by standing their ground. Nonetheless, to face such a thing can be somewhat despairing. It may leave one feeling…regret and makes them ponder certain matters long and hard. Makes one think…what if it _hadn't_ been a test? What if it had been the real thing, some horrific monster that couldn't be beaten, and they had died there on that shattered street? What then?

One naturally thinks about these things, flashes across the mind, striking home in the subconscious. What would they have missed out on, if their lives had been snuffed out? What adventures, what experiences, what loves they might have never been able to feel. Such things are sad and empty thoughts, and leaves one feeling thus. A depression that swallows all traces of life and self, an empty endless hole. And not one of the Titan's escaped this dreaded void. For many days following, they stayed by themselves. They were shaken badly, haunted by these thoughts and feelings, following them about like an odious gas of death. They hardly left their rooms, they barely ate, they would rarely even say anything to one another, the atmosphere at the Tower was listless and desolate. Had the alarm gone off, chances were good that they would have disregarded it, too engrossed in their own personal sufferings.

Fortunately, this did not occur. Perhaps because of the H.I.V.E.'s sound defeat, it had left other troublemakers on edge? Or maybe…maybe the very demon himself was out there, slipping among the shadows, doing who knows what. It was _this_ more than anything…they could see that face, those horrible red eyes, those fangs, that unholy smile, laughing at them in the darkness. And they could remember that feeling, that rush of absolute evil, consuming everything, washing over them, nearly drowning in it. It was…unbearable. For him to be lurking anywhere, regardless of how close by, was chilling, and despite their fatigue, they hardly slept. Whenever they did, they were visited by nightmarish visions, all of them waking up in the night, feeling the need to scream in terror.

One might have thought they were behaving like children, to display such fear, to disregard their responsibilities towards the City's protection and their feelings of justice. But one must realize that they had gone through an ordeal that no one, maybe not even demons from Hell itself could have stood against. Why they did not simply crumple under the strain, who could say?

In the end though, they prevailed, and conquered their fears. It was two weeks later, two weeks of a foreboding atmosphere and uncertainty, but it began to fade. They started to hang out with one another more, annoying each other, and began to act like themselves again. It wasn't long after they began to recover, that the alarm went off, signaling trouble. Despite their still somewhat shaky disposition, they went out, and saved the day, just as they had always done. This victory, over the half-crazed Mumbo-Jumbo, did much in boosting their moral. Thus life returned to normal. With one difference. They didn't talk about…_him_. Not once. They didn't even hint anything remotely close to him. It was too soon to begin thinking of that. And when he did come back…it would also be too soon.

Evening, after yet another humdrum day. No major threats to the City, the H.I.V.E. hadn't caused trouble for a while, and most other punks and criminal types had taken a, shall we say, _vacation_ from their felonious efforts. And so, there was more time to relax, which was a good thing. Ever since the…incident, Robin had spent a good amount of time on the roof, staring off into the horizon, absorbed in his own deep thoughts, sometimes for hours on end. Everyone else knew, just as he did, that they couldn't avoid it. Eventually, it would happen. He'd appear once more, to play some sick demented game with them. It was a constant issue, one that couldn't be brushed aside. And this evening was no different, Robin staring off into the setting sun, the light wind rolling his cape, standing like a statue at the edge of the Tower.

"Robin…" came a delicate voice from behind. It seemed as if Robin did not hear it at first, but he turned slightly, looking back. Just in the doorway to the stairwell leading back down into the Tower was Starfire, looking nervous, holding her elbow with one hand. She tentatively stepped out to the roof, advancing very slowly.

"There has been something on my mind," she started, trying to find the correct words, "Ever since…we last saw…you know…I have been thinking a lot about things…" She stood next to him, both of them looking off at the diminishing ball of fire, aptly named the sun. "When I thought it was the end, I continued to keep thinking about many things. Like…what would happen to me if I…What would happen to all our friends…What would happen…to you?" He was silent for a few moments, collecting his own thoughts.

"I felt the same way," he answered, his gaze averted from hers, "All of us did. Something like that will scare anyone. But I'm glad we didn't die. I'm glad that none of us were hurt. I'm glad that…you weren't hurt." The two of them stood, shoulder to shoulder, eventually turning to face one another, peering into each others eyes. It was a tender moment indeed.

"But," Robin went on, turning away, his expression hardening, "We're not out of it yet. It still might happen. As long as he keeps coming back. We're all in danger. All we can do is to keep fighting, and never give up…We have to focus on being strong. All of us." His voice was firm, a clear message imbedded in his words. Starfire sighed lightly, nodding. Without any further words between them, she turned, and went back down into the Tower, feeling…denied. Robin went back to staring at the sun and sky.

"Man, that was…pretty lame." In less than a sheer moment, the warmth in Robin's body vanished, and his entire frame became frozen with an icy shiver. That voice…the one that had sounded in his dreams…so many times. He knew though, _this_ was no dream. This time…it was real. He tried not to jump, he tried to remain calm, not to betray his cool exterior, giving way to the rising flood of panic within. Robin had never felt fear towards anyone or anything in his entire life. He had faced dozens of fierce enemies, fought numerous horrible monsters, but not once had he ever backed away. He was, in most sense of the word, fearless. But when he heard that cool and sinister voice, just behind him, from out of nowhere, he felt what might have been sheer hysteria. As if he were a child again, powerless and defenseless. A feeling of complete helplessness.

He gently, and slowly, as slowly as he could manage, turned his whole body around. His eyes swept the area.

There, sitting atop of the doorway, legs dangling over the side, the same wind pulling at the dark folds of the coat, sat…the monster. The fiend in human form, the unspeakable devil of a person. Raze. At once, he knew that he was in terrible danger. Not only was he on the roof, alone with this madman, back no doubt with a new sadistic pastime of his to try, but he was more or less trapped. He could perhaps dive off the Tower, and use his grappling hook to swing to safety, but what then? Raze wouldn't just sit there, that was obvious. What about calling the others? Not like it would help all that much, considering the foe. And there might have been a chance that they would be to terrified to answer the call. Fear of such magnitude can certainly have that effect on someone.

The same fear Robin was now wracked with. He didn't move.

"Not that I can talk really," Raze went on, all but lounging on his perch, ignoring the feelings of fear he felt radiating from Robin, "but I don't think even _I'm_ that thick. Oh well, that's kids for you." Finally, after swallowing numerous times, and willing himself to stop trembling, Robin turned a little more, and found his voice.

"So…it's you." Raze smiled, revealing those fangs, dipping his head.

"Indeed it is, and let me say, that it's so nice to hear that you remember me. How sweet."

"What do you want this time?"

"Ah Sparky, there you go with that attitude thing again. It's going to land you in a world of trouble one day, you see if it doesn't. And as for your oh so direct question, I have no answer. What do _I_ want, what do _you_ want, what do we _all_ want? Who's to say, as I don't have the answer. Do you? No, I didn't think so."

As he was spouting this sarcastic response, mocking him, Robin had been gingerly, oh so gingerly been lowering his hand to his belt, where his communicator was attached. He would only need a second. He waited.

"Why can't you ever just answer a question? Have you come to torture us again with one of your so-called tests? Or just to fight us until we all nearly die?"

"Boo hoo, your harsh words cut deep. I am very sad now, that you think I'm _so_ mean. Oh the pain is too much, my little heart is going to pitter-patter into little pieces!" As he spoke, he clutched at his heart, tossing his head back, to symbolize his mock agony.

Robin wasn't going to miss his chance. He made a wild grab for his communicator. He was fast, but sadly his enemy was far faster. Robin's hand was nearly invisible, he was moving so quickly, but Raze's motion _was_ invisible. In less than microsecond, or something of its equivalency, he had pointed two fingertips towards his prey, and at once Robin was surrounded by this light golden aura, and he found himself paralyzed, unable to move any part of himself. Even rolling his eyes was impossible.

"Ha, nice try Sparky, but you'll have to pick up the pace a bit to outrun yours truly. Of course, it's kinda hard to outrun someone who knows what you're going to do before you yourself do…Heh, mind reader, what can I say?" He stood, and stepped down to the concrete roof, and began to advance in that nonchalant style of his, feet hardly touching the ground.

"Besides, I'd rather you didn't call the others this time round. Leave this between us, man to man. Gives us the chance to have a little chat. You claim to care about your friends a great deal, so why not prove it, by keeping them out of this, and out of harms way, hmm?"

Raze now stood right in front of Robin, leaning down, a flash of crimson behind the dark sunglasses. "Alright, I'm going to let you go now, so do me a big favor and don't try anything else, otherwise I'll have to beat you up or something. And though fun that might be, it won't really serve my purposes here. So, be a good boy and stay." With that, he snapped his fingers, and just like that, the gold light vanished, and Robin's mobility was restored. He didn't even try to make a move for his communicator. Thinking about it, calling the others wouldn't do a thing, except get them unnecessarily hurt. He wouldn't do that to them. He would do this…alone.

"I thought you'd see it my way. A wise choice. So," Raze took a breath, deep and strong, inhaling the fresh air before letting it out. "Ah, here we are again, just us; good guy to bad guy. Can you sense the electricity?" Robin wasn't interested in small talk, but there was one think he wanted to ask.

"When you first showed up…what were you talking about?" Raze grinned and casually lifted his glasses up and away, stowing them in the pockets of his coat.

"Oh that? Just an observation from an outside observer. It was just in regards to your pitiful display with Star. Painful to watch really…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on Sparky, wake up and smell the romance, will ya! She came out here telling you how afraid she was that she might lose you to some monstrous force, and yet all you can talk about is surviving to fight me again. She was waiting for you to make a move, you dense little knucklehead! Or were you aware of that, but too fidgety and cowardly to do anything about it? After such a botched attempt at being caring, it's a wonder she's still interested in you! I've seen rocks and twigs with more feeling in them! For the good of all humanity boy, have some emotion! That girl is _crazy_ about you, and you are incredibly unexpressive! You're supposed to be so very brave, well then prove it little man, and tell her how you feel! Honestly!"

"What could someone like _you_ possibly know about something like that? You wouldn't know about love if it came up and slammed into your head! Besides, we have obligations to fulfill; we're heroes, and we have to act like it."

"That hurts Sparky. Just because I'm some sinister demon thing that has tormented you with both my presence and my memory, it doesn't mean that is all I am about. I know more about things that you could ever understand. And I accept your reason…you're heroes, and need to act like it. However, remember this. You were not born as Robin…the hero. You _became_ him. You were born as a normal person, someone who had dreams and goals for the future. You were a human, that is who you were _first_. While your duty to protect and uphold justice and honor is a noble purpose, do not forget that behind that mask, you yourself are _still_ a person. And as such, you have needs like everyone else. You tune them out, and try to keep telling yourself that that is the only reason. But it's not, you know it, and so do I. It uncertainty and fear. I thought by now you would have gotten over such silly things. Stop being afraid, and do what needs to be done. Do I make myself clear?"

Robin didn't answer, but turned away, staring off in another direction, fists clenched and trying to suppress his own anger and shame. He hated…_hated_ for this villain to so accurately tell him what was what. As if he didn't already know.

"But enough…I did not come here to talk romance with you, fascinating a subject though it may be. We have business, you and I. And we need to get to it. Robin!" Robin turned to face him, looking him in the eye. Raze had removed his trenchcoat and cast it aside, and was now holding the black sheath of his sword, one hand poised over the hilt, ready to draw that shimmering blade forth.

"It is time to fight. Come forth and prepare for battle."

"Are you kidding? No way, the five of us can't even touch you…What can I do by myself? More to the point, I _know_ that this is just another one of your schemes. This time, I'm not playing. Find yourself another plaything!"

"I find it rather presumptuous of you to assume that you know how I think boy. And I'm afraid that while your sudden growth of a bit of a backbone is admirable, it is the wrong time for it. You and I _shall_ fight. Draw your weapon, and let us battle. Now!" Robin faced him, crossed his arms, and didn't move.

"No." Raze's eyes narrowed, his expression cold and calculating. There was a long silence between them both. Neither spoke or moved, there was only the whooshing of the wind, as the light faded even more, slipping into a dull twilight. The colors of the sunset were beautiful.

"Alright, have it your way Sparky. We won't fight then. Guess I can't change your mind. Too bad…" With that and a shrug, he summoned his coat, and swept it over his shoulders, replaying his sword in to the inner folds of it. He then turned, and began to stroll away. Robin was…rather surprised actually, not expecting _this_ reaction out of the possible ones he had been considering. He was waiting for the murderous madman to explode in fury, and to attempt to force him into cooperation. Even if that still happened, there was no way Robin was going to act as his puppet again. No way.

"By the way," Raze called from across the roof, "Before I forget, and before I take off again, I want to show you something wild. I guarantee you're going to love this…It will _completely_ freak you out." In a flash and crackle, Raze was back again, instantaneously warping back to his original location, grinning that psychotic grin. He put his palms together, and began to rub them vigorously together. After a moment, there seemed to be some static electricity generated between them, which grew and grew, until it appeared to be like bolts of lightning coming from his hands. Robin backed away, anticipating a lightning attack, one of this villain's specialties. With a wild look, Raze shot the bolt of lightning at a spot on the roof, which impacted without so much as a sound. A pin could have been heard better. There was just a light hiss, and a blaze of light. As the smoke cleared, there was clearly something in the cloud.

Robin covered his mouth with his cape, trying to squint, waiting for visibility to be restored. Gradually, it was. He then took another look. And his heart took a jolt, jerking harshly for a moment. It was a statue, a carved statue of wood, almost like a figure. But it was…Robin, a wooden totem of Robin, painted and shaped to look exactly like him.

"Impressive isn't it? Take a closer look, by all means. Made of a wood you've probably never heard of, carved perfectly right down to the last detail. Even the toolbelt holds little toys like yours. But…what makes this dummy _so _special is what's…" he paused, and rapped his knuckles against the head, making a clunking sound, "inside. That's important here." Robin inched closer, examining the statue, but saw no indication as to it being hollow, or having anything inside.

"What's in it?" he asked cautiously, not sure if this was a trap or not. Raze gave a maniacal and insanely disturbing grin, his eyes growing wide, and his fangs bared. _"_

_You are."_ And that was all. Nothing happened, Robin waiting for something terrible to occur to him.

When it did not, he demanded, "And what's _that_ mean?" Raze didn't answer, but still maintaining that horrific smirk, snapped his fingers once, the loud sound making Robin flinch. In a gentle glow, the Robin figure began to gleam with a cloudy and hazy aura, and after a moment, its eyes popped open, making Robin let loose an involuntary gasp, as he gaped, mouth slack. But that didn't shock him nearly as much as what happened next.

"I'm going to stop you Raze," came Robin's unmistakable commanding voice from the statue, boldly declaring the statement, "I'm going to beat you this time! I won't let you get away!" Raze watched the real Robin's reaction, one of startlement and no small amount of fear. He was most happy to see that.

"Pretty neat hmm? And I can assure you that this isn't some simple trick. It's not as if I stuck a parrot inside, and taught it to talk all dramatic like you. Allow me to explain what this is exactly, as judging from your _delicious _expression…you have absolutely no idea. As I said, it is _you_, though, you don't know exactly _how much_ of you is in it." With a whoosh of air, moving at his trademark undetectable speeds, Raze was suddenly behind Robin, as passively as before. Freaked out, Robin leapt forward and turned about, fists ready to strike. Raze merely went on.

"When I first fought you all, prior to the fight, I scanned your mental core's, getting a reading on exactly who you five were. And while none of you, not even Raven, was aware of it, in so doing, I took a mental copy of your entire psyche. Everything about you was then placed into my mind, at my disposal. And I do mean _everything_. All there is to know about you five, right down to the most insignificant of details. Your memories, your feelings, your dreams, your fears, even the unconscious things you do that make you…_you_. That includes the ways that you talk, the ways you walk, the things you like and hate, the ways you fight, the ways that you breathe, and even the ways that you eat. _I… mean…everything_."

"So, what I have done here was have this statue carved, and have extracted the copied personality of you from my mind, and stuck it inside. A few alterations have been made to it, such as increasing your loathing of myself, but that's about it. All in all, what's inside that statue is a clone of you. Your soul, if you prefer to call it that. So, now you know."

Robin listened, very much terrified by this, but trying not to show it. A copy of him? It sounded ludicrous, the very concept itself unreal. But if someone could do it, this demoniac person surely could. Which only served to spark up more thoughts of exactly how could someone, _anyone_ have the power to do what he was suggesting. It was inhuman, and probably didn't even deserve to be called that. Robin had no answers, and instead decided to plunge onward.

"So?" he asked, now eyeing the dummy with great nervousness, "What's the point of all of this?" Raze's grin turned almost sweet.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot about that. Well, I guess I should stop all the informative talk and get right to the part of delivering my ultimatum." With no warning, Raze dashed forward, his teeth bared, crimson eyes flaring, and bellowing with fury. Robin had no chance to react, and in an instant, he felt the phenomenally strong hand close around his throat, and hurl him to the ground in a heartbeat. Robin had forgotten exactly how strong Raze _truly_ was…this being a most harsh and bloodchilling reminder. Now flat on his back, Raze's hand let go, only to plant one of his heavy black boots over Robin's neck, and kept him pinned, while bringing his face down to his. There was no mercy in those eyes, only rage and purest of evil.

"Now listen carefully boy, as what I'm about to say will determine how you spend the rest of your life. _I…own…you_. All five of you are my playthings now. When I say for you to do something…you _will _do it. When I say fight…you fight. When I say die…you die. When I say dance…well, you'd better be doing one hell of a square dance. You _do not_ have the authority to question or deny _my_ actions or commands, understand? Because I don't think you can resist my orders, as physically, you _know_ you can't beat me. But if you think that rebellion and simple refusal is going to stop my amusement, you are sadly mistaken. Now, you say that you don't want to fight me…that it's pointless. To you…yes, it is. But _you_ are not in charge. I am. And I feel like having fun. So, seeing as I am as generous as I am, I'm giving you the power to select this last decisive choice. You'd better hope for your sake that you're listening carefully."

Robin was struggling to draw breath, clawing feebly, trying to lift the black boot off his windpipe. He may as well have been trying to shift a mountain. But yes…he was listening.

"You have two choices before you. One…I say to you one, and _only _one more time that we will fight, and you nod. I let you up, and we do battle as I have intended. That's the one choice. The other is you refuse to participate, and I'm forced to drastic action. The point of that soul over there is to act as a replacement to yours." From his prone position, Robin's eyes widened, now seeing the reasoning behind everything, becoming quite clear.

"In the event that you are uncooperative with me, I simply rip your very soul out of your body, and stuff it into that statue. The other one, the mock soul, I transfer to your body…permanently. There is _no_ going back my friend. And seeing as it is technically _you_, none of the Titan's will be able to tell. And the one thing on his mind is to fight me, playing all of my games obediently. You, meanwhile, will spend the rest of your life in that immobile decorative stump, unable to talk, unable to move, but very much able to see and hear everything that goes on. Watch as the other you saves the day. Watch as the other you experiences _your_ life. Watch as the other you progresses with _your_ quote unquote girlfriend." _That_ made Robin jump, glaring up at the towering villain. Raze saw, and furthermore felt that twitch.

"I agree, that _would_ be hard to watch. Having to witness as another man who is you and yet, not you, lock lips with your woman. But that doesn't _have_ to happen. As I said, this whole horrific scenario is _if_ you refuse to play my game. _If!_ And that's a pretty big if too. Honestly, I'd rather not have to do that, as deep down, despite all the fun I'd have, I'd know it wasn't the real defiant you. But I _can_ live with that," he pressed down even harder, the studs on the bottom of the boot gouging in even deeper, Robin starting to black out.

"Because if you think that I'm too soft to follow through with this threat, then I urge you to reconsider. I have no qualms about tossing you aside like a busted toy that doesn't play anymore. And also don't even think that I couldn't make that scenario even more unbearable. The alternative I'm suggesting here is paradise compared to what I could _really_ do. I could cram your sorry carcass into some miserable chunk of rock on a planet millions of miles from any light whatsoever, stuck in pure blackness until the day you die. A living hellish nightmare."

"Okay, I've said all that needs to be said, the moment of truth has arrived at last. It's do or die time. What's your answer little man? Will you fight me? Or will you condemn yourself to absolute oblivion? Which is it? Fight? Yes…or no?" There was a tense silence, but it didn't take long for Robin's head to slightly rock up, then down. At once, Raze removed his foot stranglehold, and turned away, Robin immediately started choking for air, writhing on the ground, struggling to remain conscious.

"I'm kinda surprised, truth be told" Raze commented nonchalantly, as if they had been previously discussing a sports game rather than a horrendous decision involving life and death, "I was thinking you'd be as stubborn as a bolder here, and try and stick it to me, to be a martyr. Holding fast to your principles, a bit misguided though they may be. But I'm glad you didn't. Fighting a copy just isn't the same as the original." Robin was feeling rather woozy, and slightly ill after that ordeal, but recovered enough air to spit out the simple phrase, ""You're…a monster…" Raze grinned over his shoulder, as Robin struggled to regain his feet.

"You say it as if I didn't already know that. A monster will always act like one. Didn't you know that?" After taking a few more panting breaths, rubbing his now sore red throat, Robin reached out, and pulled an extending staff out. "Fine, let's get this over with quickly. I have better things to be doing that wasting time with you."

"I disagree Sparky. The way I see it, the only things you have to do without me, is to wallow in self-pity and to play superhero against petty small time crooks. I dare say that your time is better spent here. But cool your jets, one thing first must be done before we begin." Once more, Raze removed his coat, pulled his sword out, and set them both aside. Following this, he snapped his fingers yet again, and with a rumble and grinding of stone, the telltale mighty black speakers emerged from the roof of the Tower, humming with power and voltage. With them in place, Raze took a deep breath, tensing his legs. He then clenched both his fists, and closed his eyes.

"I neglected to inform you earlier, that while we are going to fight again, this time, there will be one…minute difference that might make things a bit…less pointless. In fact, I think you're going to like this a lot. Behold." Raze continued to hold that position, his teeth bared, his eyes popping open wide, the blood red eyes had returned. He seemed to be straining, veins were raising from under his skin, even those on his forehead and neck began to bulge. Almost as if he was pushing, pushing some heavy object with no results. That's when the steam came. His whole body began to radiate steam, at first light tendrils, rising here and there, then columns and clouds of it. Naturally, there was a whispering hiss accompanying this.

Now, he began to glow, a sort of silver light, flashing white and then gold, fluctuating wildly. And a whirring, a high pitched whir, almost like some futuristic spaceship noise, growing louder and more piercing. Even the ground began to shake, rumbling and trembling at this awesome force, whatever it was. Not only that, but there was an unmistakable sense of a change in pressure around, the way the air felt, it felt denser and heavier. Robin had to hold on to a near by antenna to maintain his balance, keeping his distance from Raze, who was almost lost to the smoke. But even through the smoke, Robin could hear him. He had been growling low, but it had risen higher and higher, until he was nearly roaring. Finally, just as it seemed this weirdness wouldn't end, from within the smog, there came Raze's terrible voice, thundering with great strength…"POWER…**RELEASE!!!**"

Then came the light, pure and white, so bright that there was nothing else, so painful that it still stung the retinas even while the eyelids were closed. Accompanying this was a sudden wild wind, as strong as a cyclone, blasting past Robin for only a few seconds. As both began to fade, even as he still covered his face, Robin felt a gust of wind, this one light and soft, tugging at his hair, a fresh breeze. After a few more moments, he opened his eyes, trying to readjust to the regular light, though with the sun nearly gone, there wasn't much left. He gazed about the roof. The spot where Raze had been standing, there was still a pillar of smoke, almost like mist, gently dissipating on the wind. Robin stood, knowing that this was some sort of transformation, having witnessed several before from this enemy. He steeled himself, preparing for what lay in the smog, at what sort of abominable hellion creature awaited him.

As things cleared up, his view was restored. At first, he didn't even register what he was seeing, he was kinda looking past, eyes slightly tilted up, expecting some towering monstrosity. Not quite. What greeted him beyond the curtain of smoke was a figure, the same size as before. But definitely…_definitely_, not the same person. He wore a dirty pair of blue jeans, a tattered hole in the right knee. On his feet were two boots, black work boots, with slipshod laces. A black tee-shirt, with a marking of the Grim Reaper on it. Over this, was a black leather jacket, collar turned up, like a greaser or punk rocker. Two black motorcycle gloves were covering the hands, complete with black studs.

Around his neck was a familiar necklace, a silver sword, hung by its hilt. Also familiar, a pair of deep black sunglasses, hiding the eyes. This guy's face, it was strange. Beefy, with a large about of stubble, a shaggy unkempt beard. A huge head of coursing black hair, greasy and tied back in a miniature ponytail. A simple black headband was around his brow, the two tails of it dangling behind in the wind. Strapped to his back, still housed in the black wooden sheath was a familiar sword, and in one of the gloved hands was a long slender white pole, a staff one might say, that he was holding like a walking stick.

Robin's eyes nearby bugged from his head, staring at the features of this young man, having never seen him before. Despite that, he still knew who it was. This was confirmed when this newcomer began to speak.

"That's a funny look you got there Sparky. You'd think you've never seen me before. Don't tell me you forgot me already? I thought your power of recall was better than that. Heh." The mystic voice had vanished, the one with a light echo behind it, almost musical. Now, it was gruff, tough, and coarse, the sort a big strong guy would have. There was nothing magical about it at all.

As he spoke, he advanced, in a slow swagger, his stride heavy, the two massive black boots clunking on the ground in an almost lumbering stroll. Robin hardly knew what to say, his mouth just couldn't seem to form any words. Furthermore, his mind was sort of shut down, the shock being too much to cope with. He just…couldn't believe his eyes.

"R…R…Raze?" he asked finally, taking a long time to say the simple name.

To which the reply came, "In the flesh and blood. And that goes doubly now."

"Wha…what happened? You look…you look…almost…" Raze halted in front of him, lifted his sunglasses off, and flashed a grin. Perhaps the most stunning thing was that his eyes were no longer red. Not even close. A light brown now, a friendly and normal color. And he no longer had sharp fangs, though his canines, which are meant to be slightly pointed, were perhaps a bit more articulated.

"Almost…_human_? That what you getting at? Honestly Spark, take a pill, why don't ya? If your not careful, you'll wiggle and jiggle right out of your skin. Keep cool little man." Robin didn't answer, and just kept staring. It was like looking at some alternate reality Raze, where he didn't look like a villain. More like a bouncer at a rock concert.

"A funny thing, isn't it?" Raze commented, running his hands across his jacket, "What a change of clothes, a different hairstyle, and a normal eye color can do for a person huh? I just don't look like…me anymore. Wondering what the deal is, I take it? Alright, grab a chair Spark, and take a load off, whilst I explain the new me."

Robin didn't so much sit down as fall down, the force keeping him standing was released, and he fell to the ground in a heap. Raze rolled his shoulders, and leaned against a metal pipe jutting from the roof.

"Well, whenever we fought before, there was this enormous gap between us, something that could never ever be filled. I was stronger, faster, and more skilled than you, not to mention my high variety of super awesome powers that I could use to kick you into last year. Somehow, it just didn't feel fair…even if it _was_ really fun. So, I was considering what I could do to level the field. I knew you wouldn't want to fight me again as you'd eventually catch on to the fact that it's always going to result with you eating dirt. Eventually, I found a simple solution. I didn't want to empower you with an inhuman strength, lest you find it addicting, and tried to rely on it. Thus, I need to change me to put myself on your level. And here I stand…a mortal, ready to fight."

"Wait," Robin asked, leaning forward, "You mean…you're…a human now?"

"Well, I will never _actually_ be a human, but for all intensive purposes…I guess…yeah, I'm a human. And that means Robin, that I am no longer the all-powerful being I was last time. As of right now, I am no more fantastic that you. I have the physical power, dexterity, and endurance of a human with this stature and level of strength. To put it simply, no more flying, no more teleporting, no more god-like strength, no more lightning or beam attacks, and no more demon transformations into evil entities. I have only the abilities of a mortal, and nothing more. As of this moment, I am, for lack of a better word, powerless."

This was something to hear indeed. Raze, the all-powerful was now…powerless? Could that really be true? Was it even possible? Robin didn't know, but there was a way to find out. Coming back to himself, remembering that this new form of his enemy was _still_ his enemy, he leapt back to his feet, and darted forward, fists leading the way. He could believe his eyes; he actually managed to catch his opponent off guard, knocking him across the face with a right hook. Not only that, it no longer felt like striking a brick wall, and Raze's head actually turned with the punch sending him staggering back a step or two. What's more, he rubbed the spot, which now was red. Regardless, Raze was still grinning.

"Had to see it with your own eyes huh? I figured as much. Well, perhaps now after testing my limitations for yourself, you'd care to reconsider our fight? I dare say you have an interest in seeing more of a weakened me?" It was true, Robin felt a deep desire to beat the living tar out of this villain, and to pass on such an opportunity would be crazy indeed. With a smile of his own, he brought up his fists again.

"I'm going to enjoy this…" and with a yell, leapt at his foe again, this time coming in with an aerial kick. However, the results were not quite as satisfying this time. Raze waited, watching him approach, before grabbing his extended leg, and after twirling him around a few time, let go, sending Robin sailing across the roof. Robin landed quickly, and was about to chew out his enemy. After all, he had said he was powerless…so what was the deal? Raze beat him to it.

"Perhaps I should clarify a few things Spark. Pay attention, because there's not a lot of time. First, be aware that I used a very powerful arcane spell to expel my powers from my body. However, don't think that because of this you can now make me answer for all the so-called crimes I've committed. The power I sent away is permanently bound to me, so no matter what I may do to remove it, it will always return. In a short while, I'll be back to my invincible self. This state of weakness is temporary. Secondly, while I did remove my super strength, speed, and other abilities, I did keep one crucial thing that still makes me _very_ dangerous. I _still_ retain my knowledge, all the know-how on fighting and combat, strategic thinking, and proper battle edict. Meaning, I'm even now a mean martial artist, like you." He paused, no advancing, twisting his neck in that familiar way, cracking the bones, and snapping his knuckles.

"You might be wondering why I've done this, and I will answer. I was curious, from the moment we faced one another, who was the stronger? Me or you? Naturally me, but what if I was human? Could I defeat you? I wondered, and I resolved to find out. Here is our chance. An opportunity for you to fight me with some hope of winning. The end result will mean little, as I will return to my old self after while. But in the time I have, let us fight, and test the limits of our skills. And see who prevails…" Robin, though very eager to begin, displayed a certain amount of understandable skepticism.

"I see," he said, his eyes narrowing, "we fight, and when I start winning, you bring your powers back, and beat me, ensuring you don't lose. That's _real_ honorable of you."

"Silly Robin…you haven't really heard me, have you? While I am physically the same as any other human, my mind is still at a heightened level far beyond the primitive intellect that mortals such as yourself possess. I care nothing for trivial things like winning and losing. Pointless and meaningless. I live for the fight and the battle. As well as having an interest in your skills. And as for my powers, that is also not the case. They will come back on their own accord, I have no control over them. Meaning, if my life was in danger of being extinguished, I could not rely on pulling my own immortality back to preserve myself. I am perhaps the most vulnerable right now than I have ever been, and more than likely ever will be."

"If that's the truth, then I'm going to use ever bit of time to make you feel as much pain as you can, to pay you back for all the suffering you've ever inflicted."

"Oh my, how vicious and ruthless of you…I'm so scared. But hold on Spark, don't be so hasty. There is going to be a rule or two in this fight." He brought forward the white staff, and then removed the harness with his sword. "Here's the laydown. We engage, and have three weapons. We start with staves, move on to swords, and finish with our fists. When one weapon is disarmed or broken, we move on. There is no retrieving a lost weapon. When you're down to fists, it that or nothing. And yes, I too will follow these rules, and _will not_ cheat." He finished, and rolled his shoulders. "Anything you'd like to say to me before we begin?" There was only one thing that needed to be said.

"You're going down," Robin told him, not caring at how it was done, so long as he could finally clobber this villainous piece of slime. He pulled one of his extendable staff's out, and stood poised, ready and waiting. Raze whirled his white pole around, and he too braced himself.

"One final thing Robin. This is _our_ fight, yours and mine. When we begin, the rest of the Titan's will undoubtedly come rushing up here to your aid. Naturally, they will leap in to help you fight me, regardless of my altered appearance. But I want you to stop them if and when they do. Even if it looks like I'm beating you to death, which I will say now is quite possible. You must hold them at bay. I am not here to fight them…as I said earlier, this is between us, so leave them out of it for now. If your chose not to, then understand that this fight of ours ends right there, and I can personally promise you that I shall rain an endless storm of wrath down upon _all_ you hold dear. Am I understood?"

"Don't threaten me. But yes…I got it. Besides, I want to do this myself. I'm looking forward to this…"

"Glad to hear it. So, I've explained the rules, and have taken care of possible interference's…am I missing anything? Oh yes…_the music,_ of course!" He reached into a pocket on his jacket, fished around, before pulling out a tiny little black remote. "Good thing I conjured these up before I lost my powers eh? A fight isn't a fight without the epic soundtrack. And I have just the thing. I got a hunch that you'll recognize it." With that, he pushed the button to the remote, tossed it aside, and discarded his jacket. Suddenly, in a roar of sound, the music came forth. The same theme that had played on their second battle, a calculated strumming of an electric guitar, a steady drum beat in the background, and coming into motion with a fast and catchy flair was the light keyboard.

"The battle theme hasn't been invented yet that can surpass this one," Raze commented, closing his eyes for moment, getting lost in the music. Then, he snatched up his staff, twirled it through his fingers, and bellowed, "LET'S GO!" And the two of them, yelling, charged forwards, weapons bared and ready to clash.

_Elsewhere…_

Inside the Tower, things were rather dull. The day had been uneventful, and boring to say the least. Two of the Titans were sitting in the living room, Beast Boy and Cyborg, fighting over the remote. Cyborg has spent the majority of the day tinkering around in his garage, but he just couldn't seem to muster the motivation to begin a new project of dazzling proportions. Beast Boy had popped into the City earlier, and had merely meandered his way around, not really with a goal in mind. He didn't even feel like trying to impress some local ladies with his wiry physique and his healthy complexion. Now, the two had entered the living room, and were struggling to gain authority over the remote. Somewhere in the middle of their struggle, Starfire came in, staring at the floor, her face rather downcast, a bit odd, considering her usual exuberant mood.

"Yo," Cyborg noticed, in the middle of holding Beast Boy in a headlock, "You okay? You're lookin' pretty down." Beast Boy, despite his crushed head, also picked up on this.

"Yeah, you're not usually bummed like this. What's up?"

"It is Robin…I fear that the last defeat we suffered may have caused him to once more enter the…frame of mind that is most unsettling. Where he does not act like the Robin we know, and becomes…" She trailed off, trying not make herself not think like that.  
"Yeah, I know. Just like with Slade. The guy's got a lot on his mind, that's all. After all, he's got a sense of justice that is probably greater than any of us…Facin' off with…well, you know, is really stressin' him out."

"It's not just him," Beast Boy added, sitting on the couch, looking somewhat deflated, "It's all of us. After last time, after I thought we'd had it…It just hasn't been the same…" No one spoke for a few moments, the mood was sullen and quiet.

"We'll get through it, and Robin will come around. He just needs a little time. We all do." With that, Cyborg quickly snatched up the remote that had been discarded during the conversation, and switched on the TV. "Alright, time for some racin'!"

No sooner had he said those words, the doors opened and Raven came in, hood up. "We've got trouble…" Cyborg looked ready to throw a fit.

"Aw, come on! I just sat down to relax! What's the emergency?" Rave stared at him from under the hood, with her usual sullen expression.

"Raze." Despite this chilling news, Beast Boy slouched in his seat, slapping his face.

"Man, doesn't that guy have anything better to do that mess with us?"

"Doesn't look like it. Alright, what about him?"

"I can sense his presence," Raven informed them, "But I can't tell where exactly. It close, but I can't pinpoint it."  
"Are you certain it is him," Starfire pressed, "Is it _really_ him, or perhaps he is attempting to trick us?"

"Yeah, that seems to be one of his hobbies. He might just be messin' with you."

"Maybe, but whether he is or not, it doesn't change the fact that we have to check it out. Where's Robin?" The four exchanged glances, shrugging. On cue, from above their heads, the floor rumbled, and an extravagant booming music began to pour through the roof, filling the Tower with a theme of rock and battle. With a group exchange of glances, and without a word, they dashed for the nearest roof access.

_Meanwhile…_

They closed like lightning, whirling and twirling their respective weapons over their heads, the first clash was full of force and strength, Robin and Raze pressing against one another. It soon became apparent of their own strengths and weaknesses. Robin was, for once, the faster of the two, not to mention the more agile and acrobatic. A guy of his stature and mass, Raze just couldn't flip and weave to the same extent. But then, he didn't need to. His heavy muscle gave him strength greater than Robin's, in addition to a resilience to blows landed, and a strong endurance to fight harder, longer.

From over their weapons, Raze gave off that crazed grin of his.

"Come on, little man, I _know_ you got more than that! Where's all that fury you've been saving up huh? Show me that fire inside!" Robin struggled against his foe, waiting until the pressure pressed against him was almost too great. Then, with a smirk, he relaxed, Raze's force was released suddenly, knocking him forward and off balance, tumbling forward. Robin got out from under, rose, and charged his downed enemy.

"I got your fury! _RIGHT HERE!"_ He struck Raze square in the back, and not stopping his assault, he aimed for his head, striking that. He almost seemed to go into a mad frenzy of beating him continuously while he was down. He got off maybe seven blows before Raze finally countered, slipping out from under the eighth attack, grabbed Robin's weapon, and pulled him in close. His face was cut and bruised, but he was still grinning.

"Good, but not enough!" And he slammed his head down onto Robin's, followed by driving the end of his white staff into Robin's midsection, making him retreat a few steps.

_On the roof…_

Gaining access to the roof was simple enough, and in moments, the rest of the Titan's came out the door. They were greeted by quite a sight indeed. Two figures were fighting, though it was hard to discern as to whom it was, for darkness had for the most part set. There was not but the barest amount of light left. Using his shoulder mounted search, Cyborg shone his light across the roof, and got a good look at the two combatants. Robin was one, and the other was…someone none of them had seen before. Some weird punk rocker type person, who was closing with Robin, trading ferocious bouts with him. Despite the light, neither fighter was distracted, both being wholly absorbed in the battle.

"Dudes," Beast Boy inquired pointing, "Who is that? Do we know him or what?" Everyone stared, but no one could recognize him.

"It's Raze," Raven said aloud, though she herself was finding it hard to believe.

"You kiddin' me? That don't look nothing like him! He looks normal! Where's the black coat, the white hair, those creepy eyes?"

"Gone…he seems to have changed his appearance. But he still…feels the same. The presence. It's definitely him"

"Regardless of what he may look like," Starfire stepped forward, her fists glowing, "Robin is battling him alone. He requires our assistance!" So saying, she took flight and dashed forward, the other right behind her.

They didn't go very far before Robin paused and yelled out, "Stop!" At once, the other four hit the breaks, staring at him. "This is my fight, I want you to stay out of it. He's mine!"

"But Robin!" Starfire cried out, "You cannot beat him on your own! You will need our help! Let us help you!"

"She's right! Don't be crazy, you can't beat him! All of us can't!" Robin gave a smile.

"Wanna bet?" And with a yell he dashed forward, and came in fast and hard, using his superior speed to get around Raze's stalwart defense, and slam his staff right across his face, sending him sprawling backwards. The other Titan's were left speechless for not only did Robin send perhaps the more fearsome enemy the Titan's have ever faced flying, but in the light, they could see…blood dripping from his mouth. It was hard to believe, and even with their own bewildered eyes, they couldn't accept it.

"See," Robin told them, "He's not so tough. Without his powers, he's just common thug."

"Without his powers," Beast Boy echoed, "But how did that happen? Was it something you did?"

"Well, no…Actually he…"

"_YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN SPARKY_!" And in a sudden surge, Raze had regained his feet and charged, swinging his staff in two hands like some gargantuan club, indeed catching Robin with his defenses down, the blow striking him in the chest, the enormous force, making Robin the one skidding across the concrete. Pausing in front of the Titan's, Raze gave them a sideways grin, his semi-sharp teeth gleaming.

"Crazy isn't it? But the insanity has only just begun!" And with that, he charged Robin with a delighted howl, who was just now getting up.

"What should we do?" Starfire inquired to her friends, "Robin does not wish for us to help him? But we must, lest he is…" Cyborg shook his head.

"I think it's out of our hands Star. If it's really true that he lost his powers, than this is what Robin's been waiting for. I know I'd love to kick his butt all over the place too, but Robin needs this more than we do. Maybe this will get all that frustration out of his system. Let's just let him have it." Starfire, though unsure and rather apprehensive looking, nodded.

With them resolved to keep out of the fight, all they could do was watch. After the surprise attack, Robin has lost hold of his staff, it rolling across the way. As he rose, he pulled out his Birdarangs, and formed his trusty sword, and met Raze in the middle. While Raze's skills were top notch, his weapon obviously wasn't and it didn't take long for Robin to slice the white staff in twain, in addition to making a wide cut across Raze's left arm.

Falling back, Raze glanced down at the wound, and despite the pain and the welling blood, he _still_ was maintaining that smile, clearly enjoying himself. Both fighters were breathing heavily, sweat dripping from their foreheads.

"Having fun?" Raze inquired lightly, to which Robin answered, "Tons."  
"Good, because now things are going to get very different. I may have been good with that toy, but when it comes to this…" gesturing to his sword, which he retrieved, "I have yet to meet my match. En guard Robin. Let's see what you got." So saying, he pulled his sword free, and still the blade glimmered, even with the meager light, and with a light twirl, Raze dashed forward, his blade trailing behind. Robin met his charge, and the two engaged in a tremendous clash.

And yet, despite his speed, Robin, no matter how hard he swung, or how many times he ducked and dodged and dipped, he couldn't seem to land a blow. Raze, even without his powers, was a swordsman who seemed to be unrivaled. Speaking of whom, while Robin was having a hard time, Raze however, with the might behind each swing, as well as the calculated finesse with knowing how to move the weapon through his fingers, was slowly pressing Robin backward, easing him towards the edge of the Tower.

"Robin!" Starfire cried out, ready to fly to his aid.

"No," he shouted, trying to slip away from the near overwhelming attacks, "Don't help me!" As he was yelling, Raze saw an opening, and took it.

"You'll never beat me if you don't _CONCENTRATE_!" And with this roar, made a quick flip, and sliced Robin's left hand, causing his sword to spiral away. With no weapon, Raze made another slash, and Robin lost his advantage of nimbleness, with his a light incision across his thighs. With a scream of pain, that was crossing the line. Starfire leapt out, flying full tilt, landing right in front of Raze, catching hold of his arm, as yet another blow was descending.

With a fury in her glowing green eyes, she shouted, "You will not harm him anymore!" And using her own incredible strength shoved him off and away.

Raze went sailing backwards, landing with a crash, and rolling some distance, before coming to a stop. The other rushed out, leaving the fallen villain where he lay, and joined Starfire who was kneeling beside Robin. "Do not worry Robin, he cannot hurt you any further." Robin however, though his teeth were grit in pain, did not look pleased. He panted for air for a moment, and his eyes narrowed. "I _told_ you not to interfere. This is _my_ fight; I didn't want anyone else to get involved." His voice was harsh and cold, making Starfire recoil.

"We know, but we did any way. He ain't just your enemy, you know? We all got a bone ta pick with him. No way are you gonna do this by yourself. We're all in this together."

"You must let us help you Robin," Starfire pressed, though it was clear from his still hostile expression, he was still angry.

"Don't blame her," came a voice. All eyes turned around, and standing less than five feet behind them was Raze, having somewhere along the lines picked himself up after crash landing from his impressive flight. He had some scrapes on his arms, not to mention the same cuts and bruises, but he looked totally passive, his sword resting on his shoulder, in a clear nonchalant manner. "She is very concerned for you well being. You should be flattered. But it's clear to me that you're not ready to take me on, one on one. Pity. I guess you have some work to do before we get to that point." Incredibly, he yawned, as if the intense fight had been no more exhausting than rooting through the refrigerator for a snack.

"Well, I guess that's all there is to it. Like I said Spark, don't feel anger, it doesn't do any good. Concentrate on the good of the situation, and forget about the bad. It will serve you better in the long run…My, how late its gotten. I _would_ leave in another of my dramatic fanfares, but unfortunately, I, at the moment, lack my numerous methods of eccentric travel. So, don't mind me, I'll just hang around up here for a while."

"Why do that," Cyborg asked him, "When we can finally arrest you, and take you to jail?"

"You came in late, so you're not fully privy to all the facts of the situation. My powers are merely on vacation for a short while. I suspect that they will be back in half an hour or so. So, if you'd like the satisfaction of hauling me to jail, only to have me break free a few moments later, then by all means. Or, seeing as I'm temporarily weakened right now, I don't suppose any of you would care to engage in a clash with me as Robin did? Come on, anyone here have the courage?" With his bloodied appearance, and still holding that sword, there were no immediate takers.

"Didn't think so. Oh well, that's okay. Might I suggest you get ol' Robin downstairs for some treatment? It isn't doing him much good to be sitting out here, bleeding. Off with you now."

Despite their discomfort at the prospect of doing nothing towards Raze, the one time when he actually could be struck down, the Titan's obliged, bringing Robin downstairs. Raven was the last to leave, glancing behind one more time. He was standing near the edge of the Tower, staring off into darkness. It was strange to see him so normal looking, and Raven couldn't help but feel somewhat intrigued. But now was not the time. She went inside, shutting the door behind her. As they left, Raze glanced behind, and gave a grin. In a somewhat unsettling manner, his clothes began to alter, his features distorting in a darkened blur. He reestablished his gaze towards the darkened ocean, his crimson eyes glimmering.


	10. Wrath of the Dragon

**Chapter 10:** Wrath of the Dragon

There was much speculation as to how Raze had expelled his powers from him, rendering him as normal as a mortal but no one had any idea. Robin told them exactly what he had seen, and the only explanation came from Raven, that perhaps it was some manner of arcane spell that had ripped his powers from his very soul. But even that was inconclusive. Many things it seemed, even matters of the arcane were uncertain or were in question when it came to their greatest foe. Of course, they didn't really thought it mattered too much anyway…He had done it once, and it was doubtful he would ever willingly inflict such weakness upon himself again.

So, that merely meant going forward once more, and to cease with dwelling upon the past. He would slip away, and watch from his hidey-hole, waiting for the perfect time to come slithering back into their midst with more sadistic games. Eventually he would, but they had a few weeks before that, as his typical pattern usually suggested that he would come every month or two. At least, that's what they believed.

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Two nights later, the darkness seemed to gather en mass. The early morning was particularly dark, pitch black covering everything. The moon had bowed out the previous evening, and the water of the bay was a choppy black ink. Even the usual lustrous lights of the nearby City seemed duller, due to a fog that began rolling in, all illumination sinking into it.

The Tower seemed like a giant shadow, silhouetted against the dark sky, on its little hill in the sea of gloom. It was a sinister omen indeed.

Inside the Tower, the blackness was just as strong; the only source of lights came from the blinking red ones throughout the halls, indicating that their patent security system was armed. A night such as that, intruders would have been able to make great use of the shadows, had they the courage to try. The Titan's were in their rooms, mired in their own dreams, once more being pleasant, riding themselves of the nightmares over time.

All was quiet, in the early hours of the morning, their home being silent, save the occasional loud snore. An ideal sanctuary of security and safety.

And amidst the darkness of the Tower, there lurked a shadow.

It was a tall broad silhouette, moving along the long halls without a sound. And despite its nature and stealth, it did not move like one trying to sneak, ducking and flinching at sounds. No, it moved like one who had no qualms about being caught, a powerful calm stride, right down the center of the hallway. A silent yet bold shadow one might say, cloaked in black. It traveled along the many rooms, stepping in, examining things slowly before leaving.

But the alarm never sounds. It didn't even seem to sense this intruder. Time and again, it stepped into and out of security beams that were to go off at the sign of movement, temperature alteration, or unfamiliar bio-signs. Yet it didn't let off a peep, and this shadow progressed throughout the entire structure without any hindrance.

Several rooms in particular it paused at longer than the rest. The first was a room with a distinct oriental setting, having traditional Japanese matted floors and panels. Robin lay in his bed, his mask still on, even whilst he slept, who seemed to be gripping his sheets rather tightly. The shadow walked right in, still completely soundless and stared down at him. Robin may as well have been dead to the world, for he could not sense the daunting presence that hovered right over head. After some scrutiny, the shadow retreated, vanishing from the room.

Next came a room that was almost more accurately called a laboratory, with high tech gadgets strewn about and with the constant light hum of computer processors. Cyborg lay on his steel slab, which served as his mattress, eyes closed, plugged into his charger to bring his power back to one hundred percent. The presence took note of the numerous mechanical toys lining the walls, but did not touch.

The smell of the next room was near permeable, like that of a zoo, even out in the hallway. Beast Boy was lying half in and half out of his upper bunk bed, a thin bead of drool dangling down to the floor from his agape mouth. He muttered something about cows and nufu, before turning his face into his pillow, getting it even soggier. The shadow seemed to make a silent shudder before leaving.

Cheery and…girly could be the only way to describe the next chamber. Pink and purple curtains and décor, with billowing drapes and an oversized moth larva snoozing, curled up in a basket. Starfire was sleeping across her bed, having a distinct smile on her face, perhaps dreaming of her home planet, or maybe a certain someone right down the hall. The shade poked its head inside, lingering for a moment or two, before slipping back out again.

This shadow's final stop was outside one last door, shut tight and locked from the inside. But locks were of no consequence. With no hesitation, it stepped through the solid door, emerging inside. This room certainly had a more ominous setting than the others; a more supernatural aura about the strange ornaments and dusty bookshelves. Raven lay in her bed, sheets pulled up, her cloak hanging next to her.

The silent watcher hung at the foot of her bed for much longer than any of the others, watching her sleep before scanning around the room until it saw what it had come for. A heavy trunk, a chest with a large catch sealing it from intrusion. It had been covered somewhat by a cloth, and several books lay on top of it. With no warning, all these things lifted into the air, only to float overhead. With a brilliant flash of ruby light, the lock became undone, and the chest opened up. Once more, mortal locks were easily overcome. Lying inside, all by its lonesome was a single white book. A thick tomb of obvious importance, what with it being locked up in a truck.

It silently took up the book, the white being absorbed into the black and vanishing. The truck was shut, the aloft items settling back on top of it. With that back in order and a nod of the silhouette's near indistinguishable head, the lock was heard, a tender little click, resealing.

Having acquired what it had come for, the shadow cast one last look at Raven, still sleeping soundly, before it began to vanish, breaking down into a dark smoke, vanishing into nothingness.

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Far out at sea, mired within the deepest part of the slowly thickening fog, was an island, its terrain different on each section to create a refreshingly varied landscape.

In the center of this island, the black smoke appeared once again, materializing back into a person. After shaking the black dust from his radiant silver hair, Raze lifted up the book now clenched in his gloved hands.

It was a thick tome indeed, so no surprise it was heavy. The binding was well worn, the cover and back held together by iron clamps. The material it was made of was white, but felt like leather, stretched tight.

Raze looked over this book, and flipped haphazardly through the crisp ancient pages, scanning the text briefly, with a look of vague interest.

"A simple enchantment," he commented upon sensing the aura of mystic around it, "but I suppose it was enough. And now…time for you to come on out." With simple toss, he threw the book high over his head, and gave a snap of his fingers. The book began to glow with a dazzling white light, there being a surge of power, and the wind picking up drastically. As the book landed, there was a blinding blast of searing magic which swirled all around. It faded away, and Raze lifted his eyes upward.

There before him, in all his unholy glory was the infamous Dread Dragon…Malchior. Dark lavender scales, piercing red eyes, his leathery wings spread, covering the ground beneath him in a sprawling shadow. At his very presence, the air around seemed to grow stagnant, and the sky above took on a greenish tint. The dragon roared, his mighty voice shaking the island, echoing across the ocean surrounding them. After a moment of stretching his great limbs, the dragon looked around, and saw the diminutive being near his feet.

_"So, I have been released once more,"_ his voice was wickedly calm, dripping with malevolence, as he lowered his massive head down, to get a closer look at his savior. Raze only looked back, silently marveling at this creature. Though he was immensely more powerful, there was just something about the presence and majestic aura about dragons that made them so marvelous. Even someone like him felt somewhat humbled at its mere existence.

_"And I suppose you are the wizard to do so?"_ Raze gave the beast a grin, and a small salute with his hand.

"You might say that. Though, I'm a bit more than a wizard."

_"Indeed? Well, you must forgive me for not showering you with thanks for my freedom. I will say that you are rather foolish for releasing me, as you obviously do not understand the consequences of your meddling. Allow me to show you…" _

And without any provocation on Raze's part, the dragon opened his mouth to unleash a burning stream of concentrated fire upon him. It was a horrifying inferno, which completely melted everything that it struck, so it was no surprise that when the blast subsided, all that remained was a sizeable crater, completely scorched black.

_"Fool,"_ Malchior laughed, and having rid himself of another troublesome magic user, turned his attention to stretching out his confined muscles. His imprisonment, though significantly shorter than his first, still caused his joints to stiffen.

"I see the stories about you aren't wrong after all…" This caused the tremendous reptilian creature to look around, only to spot the same being standing on a nearby outcropping of rock, looking unharmed. "You _are_ uncharacteristically aggressive. Perhaps a bit too much for my purposes."

_"So, you are more than you seem worm,"_ Malchior rumbled, with noticeable disdain. _"I know not what power you wield, but I also do not care. Regardless of how powerful you think you are, it means very little, and your actions towards me are equally meaningless. You should flee why you are able. As you are not the one I am after. I only seek the one who imprisoned me."_ With that, the immense creature spread his wings, and leapt off the ground, streaking upward into the sky with tremendous speed, leaving the insignificant bug in the dirt. After sampling the wind currents, he turned towards the direction of the City, and began to race that way with all speed.

"I suppose you mean Raven?" Raze inquired lightly. A shock ran through the dragon's frame, and upon craning his neck around, Malchior saw the irksome pest resting on his back, completely nonchalantly.

_"You are tediously persistent. Do you wish to be destroyed so greatly? And I see you too know of her…I take it you mean to protect her from me?"_ Raze gave a grin, and shook his head.

"Oh, I don't need to do even that. Because I'm about to pound your scaly hide into submission to show you exactly who is in charge here." The dragon sent a menacing chuckle over his shoulder.

_"You? And what do you think you can do against me? You are a mere human, not worth my effort."_

"Don't be so sure about that. But please, don't take my word for it. Touch down somewhere and I'll prove it myself."

_"VERY WELL!"_ And with a roar, Malchior dove out of the sky at a near nauseating pace, having spotted an island down below. During his decent, he didn't seem to notice that it was the same island he had taken off from a few moments before. He fell, twisting his body around so he would land on his back, and crush the hitchhiking moron off him. He landed alright, just as he intended, with a earth-shattering crash, tearing the ground asunder, raising up outcroppings of rock, his collision was like that of a plummeting meteor.

After rolling on his back for a few moments, Malchior rose, shaking himself clear of any dust. Before he could take flight again, a voice stopped him.

"When you're finished wallowing in the dirt, maybe we can get on with business? There are other things I'd rather be doing this evening you know…" And again, off to the side was the same guy, having escaped from the crushing doom. Malchior was now far past the point of being annoyed. He was seriously ticked off.

_"You have grown to be most irritating,"_ he snarled, baring his many rows of teeth. _"If you wish to die, then so be it!"_

Retaking his feet in a wide stance, Malchior breathed in, and began to fire his breath wildly, short bursts in Raze's general direction. With no effort, Raze ducked under the incoming blasts, sending a retaliatory wink towards the dragon. Malchior growled, and he launched another stream of fire, but Raze vanished before impact, only to reappear elsewhere.

Thus began a pattern of the dragon shooting and his quarry dodging. The malicious beast attempted to stampede him under his claws as well, swinging his tail across the ground, and tried to lock his great jaws around his evasive target. All the while, Raze kept that same easy-going expression on his face, as it were a game, rather than the dragon attempting to extinguish his life. Obviously Malchior didn't find the game fun, for the more he missed, the angrier he became. He roared in frustration, his clenching claws digging deeper and deeper into the soil around him. Finally, he could stand it no more.

"_I've had enough of this rubbish! I will scorch you from the face of this world, you miserable weakling! Perish!"_ And with his fury fueling his actions, he made a significantly deep inhale, and sent forth a torrent of blazing fire that split the earth, and fried everything to ashes. But again, it was clear he missed. Raze was across the way, still unharmed.

"Bad temper," he scolded, "And now I'm afraid you've used up all of your chances. Now, it's time to teach you some manners." With a grin of fangs, he began to tense up, and with a sudden and short blast of wind, a dazzling white aura that moved like flames surrounded his form.

Malchior was startled by this, but wasn't one to stay shocked for long. He breathed in deeper than before and fired another shot, but this time the resulting effect was a bit different. With the casualness of brushing away a fly, Raze backhanded the incoming inferno; sending it streaking away, out over the water. The dragon could only watch. Raze on the other hand, smiled.

Then he vanished completely, only to reappear at the great clawed feet of the dread dragon. Without a word or a sound, Raze rocketed upward, still covered with the blistering ghostly white fire, and his fist, though diminutive next to the colossal size of the dragon, slammed into the ancient creature's lower jaw with phenomenal force. The blow was so mighty; it robbed Malchior of his senses, knocking him through the proverbial loop, as his head came crashing to the ground. Raze landed, as the big luminous ruby eyes cracked open, to stare back. There was shock and far more apprehension in them than before, as the dragon studied this person much closer.

_"What are you?"_ he gaped, sensing and more importantly seeing the visible black and crimson aura flowing off of this being. _"You are no mortal…And no wizard…"_

"I am someone who is far greater than you…Let us leave it at that. And one who wishes to have a chat, instead of resorting to violence. It all depends on you. Will you listen? Or will you die?" This was a stupid question; no dragon ever wishes to die, so he did not answer.

"I thought as much. Tell me something, O humbled dragon. Does the name Cirgosionus mean anything to you?" Again, there was no response, and it took Raze a moment to see that no, he didn't know the name.

"I see. Surprising. The name belonged to yet another of your kind. A dragon, who is…or rather _was_ far older and _far_ more powerful than you. He lived in another time and another place, and with my aid established a place you may find quite interesting. A world where dragons reign supreme, a magnificent haven where your kind resides, without fear of upheaval by barbarous adventurers, merely seeking a dragon head to mount on their wall. Meaning, a place where you may sow as much destruction or strife as you wish, and without fear of being attacked by magic book-wielding sorcerers."

_"And what is the point of telling me all of this?"_

"Simple. In exchange for a simple service, I will send you to this place, where you may live the rest of your incredibly long life, living as a dragon should. In splendor and as undisputed masters. I would think it would be quite appealing."

_"And should I refuse this service you are demanding of me?"_ Raze gave a shrug, and in but a flash, his long slender blade was drawn out, and hovering dangerous close to the dragon's vulnerable neck.

"Then I'll find another to suit my purpose, and _I'll_ be the one to mount you vicious head on my mantle, rather than some adventurer. Think carefully before deciding as this is no idle bluff I promise you."

Malchior could see that, there was no lie in this being's eyes. Meaning, not only was his threat most likely true, but also his offer. Such a place, if real, was something that all dragons, evil or not, found very appealing. So appealing, that to pass on a chance of it would be a great mistake.

_"Very well,"_ he conceded at last, "_What service do you want in exchange for showing me this place?"_

Raze gave a simple grin, and quietly explained his intent…

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The morning after the deep darkness of the night was bright and sunny, there being only a hint of the fog from earlier. Things were set up for a nice day indeed.

The Titan's rose, completely unaware of their visitor, or that anything in their home had been disturbed. But then, how could they?

They were still at ease, falling back into their normal lives. Cyborg was waxing his much-loved T-Car, while at the same time keeping Beast Boy away from it, who was persistently insisting that he could be of great help. No one had seen Raven, she remaining in her room, being completely silent, not even coming out for breakfast. Robin's injuries from his last fight had been healed up, and was removing the last of the bandages, with Starfire's assistance.

"You are appearing most well Robin," she told him brightly, examining all the healed wounds. "I am glad that you back to you again." Robin said nothing, only continued to stare down at the floor. As a matter of fact, he had been very quiet over the last couple of days. Something to do with his lone encounter with Raze on the roof, naturally, but beyond a few minute details, he didn't go fully into what was said between them with his friends.

As it was, he was dwelling upon the words that had been spoken to him by his enemy. _"Show some emotion!"_ and _"Tell the girl how you feel!"_ Not to mention the aftermath of the battle. _"Don't blame her, think on the positive, not the negative." _All this stuck to his mind, circling about, making him restless. So tense that he had been unable to sleep well, and he felt _so_ strained. He needed to let something out before he exploded.

"Starfire," he said quietly, which caused her to look over at his face.

"Yes, Robin?" He bit his lip; fist clenching so tightly that his arm was trembling. He opened his mouth, his jaw unhinged, hanging open, trying to pick the best words.

"I…I…I'm…" Starfire leaned in even closer, sensing something special, her emerald eyes wide. "Yes?" she pressed in a soft voice.

"I'm…sorry…that I snapped at you…when you were just helping me…I'm sorry about that…" Starfire, though that wasn't exactly what she was hoping for, still was satisfied by the progress. She gave him that beaming smile.

"There is no need for such amends Robin," she assured him, "You were merely angry, and people tend to speak harshly when angry. It is understandable."

"That's no excuse!" Robin argued, finding her attitude towards his conduct congruent with letting him off the hook. He didn't _want_ to be let off the hook. "You all were there to help, but I let him rile me up. As always…I was so absorbed with beating him to a pulp…I just wasn't thinking straight."

"That you are aware of this is a good thing. But there was no wrong in your actions."

"But there was! You never do that! I've seen you get angry plenty of times. If anything, you're more level-headed than I am when I'm calm." This made her smile fade somewhat, her manner becoming quiet.

"But I still feel the anger too," she told him, her tone matching her expression, "Even if mine is different than yours."

"What do you mean?"

"It is difficult to explain," she admitted, staring out the nearby window. "I too feel much anger towards him for the many evil things he has done. And for him to escape…And to inflict so much harm on us is most wrong. It bothers me as well."

"How do you deal with? Doesn't it eat away at you?" She shook her head, her smile returning.

"Oh no, for I am certain what we shall defeat him eventually!" Robin smiled himself at that.

"I know…I know we can do it too. Somehow…" But in his mind, he wasn't quite so sure.

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Within the darkness of her own room, Raven was meditating, hovering over her bed. She had woken up feeling surprisingly fatigued, as if it had been a sleepless night. But she knew that she had slept soundly, going to bed early, and waking with at lease eight hours of rest. It was strange. After waking, instead of joining her friends, she opted to lapse into a pensive like state, for the purpose of relaxing, and to reflect on her inner mind. Perhaps there was something that was bothering her, deep in her own subconscious, something that was nagging her, without her even feeling it. So, with some calming breathing, she began to delve into her own subconscious.

The images that rose up in her mind were somewhat surprising for her. They were normal, nothing out of the ordinary on the surface. When she delved deeper, there was still nothing. She was quite baffled. She scanned over her thoughts and recent memories slowly and meticulously, finding nothing significant. But she had been certain that something was bothering her, but from the look of things, there was nothing causing her dread, save the usual stuff.

She was about to bring herself out of her meditations, when in a savage and sharp pain; there was a flash, a brief vague image of something. Something extremely evil and horrifically strong flooded her mind suddenly, intruding upon her peace with merciless power, before vanishing.

This violent and malevolent surge may have been short, but its power and sinister fury was still felt all the same. Raven was knocked right out of her meditation with a jolt, causing her to fall from her levitation, and bounce off her bed, hitting the floor. She lay there, gasping, struggling to breathe, as the shock had robbed her of breath. Not only that, she was shivering violently with perhaps fear. It may have only been a split second, but it had felt far longer to her.

After a moment, she began mustering the strength to push herself up. But it was tough, her body felt woozy, numb almost. She managed to sit on her bed, still breathing hard, trying to make sense of what she had seen. Despite its tremendous unsettling presence, she had seen clearly what it was. Or rather, a somewhat vague outline. Something dark as black, with two huge slit ruby eyes. As if that narrowed it down…Still, at least it hadn't had four eyes…

Just as she started to feel better, though still haunted by that image, she could feel something stirring in her mind again, and another surge of mental images attacked her again.

This wave was even stronger than the first; and literally more forceful, the strength of it knocking her backward, across the room and hitting hard into the opposite wall. Again, she couldn't breathe, due to the harsh impact, but even around the pain and shortness of breath, she saw this time clearly what it was. A large reptilian creature, with wings, a tail, and a loathsome corrupt aura. One she was all too familiar with. Suddenly, she had a sickening feeling in her stomach.

Even before she had recovered, she began crawling across her room, towards a certain chest in the corner, several books and papers stacked atop it. Pushing them aside, she used her power to undo the lock, and tossed open the lid.

"No…" she could only exhale the word. The trunk was empty. The magic book was gone. Without wasting a moment, Raven staggered as best she could to her door, and ran out.

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Raven burst into the living room, as Starfire and Robin were still talking. But her rushing entrance interrupted them and they turned their attention towards her. At once, they were on edge. Raven was one to always approach things calmly and perhaps even solemnly. For her to be rushing about, with a clear look of apprehension in her face, then trouble…big trouble wasn't far off.

"Robin," she called out with a clear trace of panic, "We've got problems!" Before he could inquire, the alarm went off, the computer blaring a signal for trouble.

'Hang on Raven," he told her, and dashed over to the computer. Starfire quickly went over to Raven, helping hold her steady, as she still looked rather wobbly. Somewhere along the line, Beast Boy and Cyborg came up from the garage.

"What's the problem?" Cyborg asked, turning an anxious worried eye towards Raven, who seemed paler…weirdly enough. Robin finished his analysis of the incoming data.

"We got a robbery, in the old sector. No known suspect. Titan's move!" And the group rushed out. Raven followed, lagging behind. She didn't say anything, but she had a suspicion in the back of her mind that this was something very close to a trap.

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The Titan's followed the directions that their main computer filtered to their communicators, landing in a somewhat abandoned sector of the City. More than a few dilapidated buildings crumbling around them, almost like a slum, but worse. A peculiar place for a crime, as there was hardly anything, _if anything_ in the surrounding area to steal or plunder.

"Where're we going?" Beast Boy whined, looking nervously around, the street seeming awfully quiet, "What's the big emergency?" Robin didn't answer, because he had no clue himself. He tapped the communicator, but suddenly the signal seemed to vanish. Eventually, he looked up.

"Not sure. But we'd better check this place out. Spread out and…" But his voice was cut off. For gathering in the road before them was a low fog of black smoke, creeping out of cracks in the cement, sewer gratings, and from the air itself. It began to pool together, rising upward, taking a distinct humanoid form. It solidified, and after a shrug, sending black powder off his coat, Raze opened his crimson eyes, turning to look at the Titan's. Their expressions were less than favorable.

"Oh…" Robin grumbled, his previous enthusiasm fading away in but a split second. "It's _you_…What is it this time?" Raze gave him a funny look, advancing with a simple stride, hands behind his back.

"Sparky, I'm surprised at you. Is that any way to greet an old acquaintance? And here I came all this way, and you can hardly muster the energy to yell at me properly. Disappointing."

"Like we care what you think, you crazy weirdo," Cyborg told him curtly. "If you're gonna pull your normal garbage, why don't ya do it someplace else? I'm getting sick of lookin' at you."

"Oh my, could it be that you are sick of my presence at last? And I'm so sorry to disappoint you, but your request is to be denied. My presence must be tolerated I'm afraid, lest disaster befalls everything in your absence."

"You're nuts," Beast Boy curtly told him, to which Raze shrugged.

"I may be at that, but the borders of insanity and mental instability are fine lines indeed. Often times, it is hard for one to tell. But come, I did not invite you five out here to talk about the mental normality of myself. Rather, to speak to you about my purpose of being here."

"Why _are_ you here?" Robin asked him, wary of his intentions. He had never answered this question before, and he was skeptical about him doing so now. This inquiry made Raze's face brighten somewhat, growing more enthusiastic.

"Ah, now we come to it at last, my dear dear friends. I do indeed stand before you once more with hostility in my intentions, once more pressing your minds and bodies to the breaking points of disaster. But take cheer, little ones, as there is _some_ conciliation in this."

"Conciliation? Raven echoed. "I doubt there is a good side to _anything_ you do. And what could we possibly gain from taking part in your twisted fun?"

"Well, I _would_ tell you, but I'd rather it be a surprise. So, before I explain all the hidden goodies in my latest caper, perhaps we should begin all the necessary pre-fight preparations?"

No one looked forward to that option. Facing down an invincible, or at least seemingly invincible foe wasn't a favored activity for most. Despite that, the Titan's knew that it was unavoidable, and they _must_ fight. They had learned from Robin all that had been said and done in regards to their previous fight. About the wooden statue that housed Robin's soul. Chances were that there was one for each of them as well, and his threat would also be valid for them too. And they had vowed to stop him from causing more harm, regardless of the consequences.

"Fine," grumbled Robin, bracing himself, "if you want to fight, then let's get on with it!" Raze cocked his head to the side, like a curious animal, but with a clear maniacal grin on his mouth, a few fangs breaking through his gums.

"Oh ho, I think you misunderstand! This time around, you won't be fighting _me_! Allow me to introduce to you, Teen Titan's… to your opponent." At this declaration, Raze lifted his hand over his head, towards the sky. Directly behind him, the world began to waver and ripple, as if it was mired in a wall of heat waves. There rose higher and higher, like a wall of hazy waves.

Then it started to glow, and they could see the outline of a gateway easily one hundred feet high. From out of the gate there was a blistering white light; causing the Titan's to shield their eyes from its brilliance. And along with this light, the silhouette of something big…something huge began to emerge.

With a rumbling of the ground, and the thundering bellow of an enormous creature, the Titan's squinted at what it was. When they were able to see around the light somewhat, they caught a glimpse of this latest threat. And what a shock they got.

It was Malchior, the Dread Dragon; in all his terrible glory…At least, that's what all the Titan's thought at first. But after the initial shock and fear began to diminish, they took a second scrutinizing look. It _was_ a dragon, that was clear, but his scales were a dull black, his eyes a brilliant gold, with much more draconian features than Malchior. A wider head for one thing, a more ancient set of wings, and a heavy powerful body that wasn't quite so sleek and precise. And it didn't seem to be all there, to say it mildly. Its body was fading in and out, like an illusion, almost being translucent.

As this terrifying creature came slithering out from the giant portal, it sealed behind it with a crackle of lingering magic. The dragon reared up to his full height and awe-inspiring stature which was far more massive and terrible than Malchior's, and loosed another deafening roar, which echoed throughout the entire City. The Titan's stood in the mammoth shadow of this dragon, feeling like today wasn't going to be a good day. Raze suddenly appeared, having vanished as the portal opened, now standing on a rooftop, many stories up, looking down at them. Where he stood put him on the same level as the big draconian head, who was staring down with a malicious gleam towards the five small children.

"Surprise!" Raze called out, with a devilish cry, "Bet you weren't expecting one of these guy's huh? But you know me! I'm all for surprises!"

The Titan's were flabbergasted at this, but none of them had the words. It was the dragon who spoke next. His voice was precisely what one would imagine a dragon would sound like. Booming, authoritative, and deep, with a noticeable reptilian hiss to it.

_"Are these the ones you spoke of,"_ the great beast tilted its head towards Raze nearby, his golden eyes narrowing. _"Sniveling children? How am I to prove myself against such weak opponents? You promised me a challenge! I hope for your sake, wretch, that you can deliver one. Away with these pests, and bring me a worthy adversary!"_ Raze gave the creature a curious sideways glance.

"My my, since when did you decide to become the picky dragon? I was told that you were practically leaping about for the chance to prove yourself worthy of a place in the Great Wyrm Council. I believe this little battle will be just the trophy you need to gain admittance. And I'm going to warn you again, _do not_ be deceived by their insignificant appearance. Each one packs a wallop, and if you're careless, then you shall be lying with your face in the dirt."

The dragon listened, before lowering his enormous head down, to study the five Titan's all the closer. The Titan's were more than just a little nervous, as if it decided to open its mouth and breathe; it wouldn't leave much time for them to run. After a moment of silence, it pulled away.

_"Humph. Very well. They seem to be no more than runts, but I shall hold nothing back. The great Hiltlios will triumph and crush them into powder. If they are as formidable as you say, then they should be able to fight a decent fight."_

"And they shall, have no fear." With that settled, Raze turned back to the Titan's, gesturing to the mighty dragon.

"Not bad eh? I'll admit that I was skeptical when your previous dragon acquaintance returned here with him as your chosen combatant, but I think he's a perfect candidate. A challenge, but not an impossible obstacle."

This casual banter affected none more than Raven due to her past experiences, not to mention seeing those ghastly images earlier. She looked out from under her hood, up towards Raze, who was looking right back at her, as if he knew what was crossing her mind.

"You don't mean…?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"Ah but I _do_ dear Raven. I released the curse of that spellbook, and loosed the Dread Dragon Malchior back upon this world."

"So _you're_ the one who stole the book? So much for claim of not committing petty crimes…" He grinned at that.

"Steal? Oh no, I don't quite see it as _stealing_. More like…confiscating. You had something in your possession that you lacked both the power and knowledge to use properly, not to mention that you wouldn't have utilized such a resource appropriately. So I took it upon myself to relieve you of it, as you weren't using, nor planning on using it…for the common good."

"Nothing that _you_ do with that book will be for the common good."

"Well, perhaps in _your_ views and opinions, that may be so. But not in mine. There is much I can do with him that can be valuable to me and my endeavors. I would think you'd be grateful that I didn't bring him here now to fight you. After all, he is stronger than you five, but because he is rather prone to violence, he'd probably kill you all. And I can't have that. Not yet anyways." Having enough of the suspense, Robin stepped out, yelling up at Raze, his fists clenching at his sides. He hated when his possible fate was spoken about in riddles.

"So what _is_ all this about, you maniac?" Raze suddenly vanished from his building perch, to once more reappear atop the dragon's head, gazing down at them.

"An excellent question Sparky. I've brought this beast, the mighty Shadow Dragon Hiltilios out from a separate world. Here he is before you, to challenge everything good and just that you stand for. Be wary, for he means you great harm!"

"You've didn't answer my question," Robin shot back, the stress of standing in the shadow of a huge dragon clearly making him tense, and his temper short. "What's the point to all this?"

"The point?" Raze echoed the question, before tossing his head back, and emitting a wild laugh to the dark sky above, rolling about them like crazed thunder.

"The _point_ is to see if you have what it takes to do what do. I've put you all through numerous tests thus far; tests designed to discover your strengths, weaknesses, limitations, and inner spirit. And doing so has brought the five of you to brink of near madness. Now I submit to you…your _final_ test."

"Final test?" Beast Boy called up, "You mean…this is the last one?"

"That's correct, though don't for one moment think that this shall be easier than the ones I've put you through before. Quite the opposite. This may be the hardest task you have _ever_ done; though by no means the hardest you will _ever_ do. For unlike the other battles, the ones where I fought you myself, this one is _real_…You might remember that previously, I called the fights off or ended the tests when you all were…too overwhelmed. That _will not_ happen this time."

He disappeared once again, now coming back into their sights in front of them, less than five feet away. His face looked serious, almost grave, his crimson eyes scanning the Titan's faces, from one to the next.

"Despite my deceitful nature, what I tell you now is for your own benefit. There is no illusion here, no pulling of the punches. You must fight this destructive and horrendous monster who will threaten your City and your lives, to the very end. I _will not_ intervene in this battle, thus if he overpowers you all, then that will be the end of the story. I will not stop the fight nor assist either side; unless I am satisfied that one side or the other has won. In other words, mistakes here _can_ and probably _will_ cost you your lives. So take this advice…_Don't_ make any."

Life or death…A game with no greater stakes. This was big, all of the Titan's grasped that, but none relished the thought of being shanghaied into cooperation, when they really didn't need to. Of course, the other side of that…He had said…

"You said that this was the last test?" Raven asked him, "Are you really serious about that?"

"Indeed I am. As before, after putting you all through a trying examination I would leave, only to linger on in your memories, the fear of my return and the chaos I'd bring with me haunting you day and night. Triumph here…and that will be over."

"Over?" muttered Robin, finding the concept…alien to put it mildly.

"Yes…Let _this_ be your fuel to victory here. If you win…than you will finally be successful in being rid of me. Hard to grasp, I know. I will be wholly satisfied in your abilities, and therefore there would be no need to test you any further. These games of mine would be over at last. No more worrying about when, where, or how I will torment you next, no more sleepless nights. I will leave you in peace, having what I came for. I would think _that_ is a goal you'd find worth in striving for. But I leave that up to you. Good luck Titan's, and good hunting…"

With a roar of fire, Raze vanished away, leaving the Titan's feeling almost disoriented. What he had just said to them was very powerful. If they won here, he'd be gone for good? They didn't know whether or not to believe him, but he had been right. It was a cause for them to put every ounce of their strength into. For the good of all…

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, surrounding them all, came his familiar roaring voice.

**"The battle has begun! Let the combat commence!"** With no warning, there came an overpowering blast of music, heavy rock guitar, a steady drumbeat, and a high fast paced motion, having an unmistakable gothic feel to it. It was loud, it was hard, and it was fast, the sort of music that was perfect for a fight.

Hiltilios must have felt that, for the moment things started, he loosed a bellow, shaking the ground, before charging on all four legs, like some enormous scaled tank. The Titan's had to scatter for cover as he went bulldozing past, only to regroup as he was turning about.

"Titan's Go!" Robin shouted, before they split off, and started their own counterattack. Robins came in low, running side by side by side with Cyborg, and the two of them pelted the dragon's lower legs with their attacks. Starfire and Beast Boy came in from above, Star hurling Starbolts at his head, Beast Boy changing into a rhino to land on his back, and aim that big horn for his neck. Raven picked up what few cars were lying around the streets, and began to chuck them into the dragon's armored hide.

Hiltilios snarled in fury, and quickly began to roll across the ground, sending Beast Boy flying, and making Robin and Cyborg run for cover. Then he used his tail to make a few well time swats at Starfire, who was still swooping around his head, landing a blow which knocked her to the ground. Free of these nuisances, it was time for retaliation.

The dragon roared, and began to breathe in. In a titanic wave of a swirling vortex, what looked to be a black tornado of dust came pouring from his gaping maw, crashing on the ground. What it was were millions of tiny black shards of crystallized liquids formed deep within his stomach, whirling together to make a maelstrom which would shred you to pieces. Not wanting to get struck by something so painful, the Titan's evaded. It became clear that they needed to stay in close proximity, so he'd be unable to fire his breath.

Thus began a cycle of the Titan's attacking Hiltilios, their efforts yielding damage but not much. Hiltilios would then strike back, also dealing damage. But not much. It seemed like a stalemate, neither side could upset the other.

"Man," Cyborg panted, checking his batteries. "What do we gotta do to bring this thing down? I'm running out of juice, and we've hardly scratched him." They had a slight reprieve at the moment, as Hiltilios's head was stuck inside a very large dumpster, courtesy of Raven and Starfire.

"We got to keep trying," Robin told him resolutely, "Everything's got a weakness. We just have to find his."

"Yeah," Beast Boy answered, tenderly rubbing his sore head, "You said the same thing about Raze too…"

Robin shot him a stern look that basically said, "Focus please." Then, he turned to Raven. "We all fought Malchior before…Any chance of defeating this dragon the same way?" She shook her head.

"No, I don't have the same spellbook. And I've lost all of the spells I gained when he was teaching me…" She glanced out from the crumbling building they were hiding in.  
"Dragon's are considered the most powerful creatures, having not only incredible might but a high intelligence too."

"So what you're saying is," Cyborg reasoned, "We ain't gonna outsmart him."

"No…" she agreed, "But we might be able to deceive him. All dragons share a similar weakness. An overzealous sense of superiority. They all like to think that they are the best and most dominant race; they're overconfident. If we make him believe he has the advantage, it might lower his guard."

"And I have an idea on how to do that," Robin told everyone. "Listen up…" He outlined in detail what they needed to do. Just in time, for Hiltilios had long since freed his head of the dumpster, and was now sniffing intently with his huge nose to hunt his elusive quarry. He caught their scent in an abandoned building, and with a roar of vehemence, he barreled right into the structure, bringing it to the ground.

As the smoke began to drift away, the dragon began to sift through the debris, his eyes sweeping the ground. He caught sight of one of them, lying face down, unmoving.

Hiltilios advanced upon the downed hero, his massive footsteps shaking the ground.

_"Pitiful,"_ he growled, _"Such a disappointment. Where are the rest of the vermin hiding?"_

"Right here!" Looking around, Hiltilios was slammed in the head with a bus, laced with black energy. It crashed, bending around his skull. In a rush, the Titan's came in from all directions. Beast Boy came charging in as a triceratops, ramming the huge horns into the left side of the dragon's body, knocking him off balance. Starfire rushed up, drawing her fist back, and walloping the dragon across his huge face many times, knocking him silly.

Cyborg struck from up high, off a crumbling building, his shoulder opening up to fire a large salvo of small missiles, exploding into his head. Robin leap up from his prone position as bait, and with a leap, tossed a handful of exploding ice disks into Hiltilios's roaring mouth, freezing his mouth open.

This left him stunned for a few moments, giving the Titan's ample time to wail away at him with everything they had. But it wasn't enough yet. Though visibly weakened, Hiltilios broke his mouth open of its icy restraints, and opted to take flight into the air. Starfire followed but was struck down by a lashing tail. With his higher position, he launched another blast of his breath, sweeping the ground hard in a giant wave. All of the Titan's ran for cover, but none of them escaped from the attack unscathed, suffering many small but deep cuts and lacerations. This slowed them down considerably.

Seeing their weakness, the dragon came swooping down in for the kill, landing on the pavement, ripping it apart, and menacingly advancing. He could see two of them, the boy in the cape, and the flying girl that fired those annoying green attacks. He began to breathe in, ready to destroy them. But as he exhaled, a sphere of darkness surrounded his head, trapping his breath within, swirling around his own head much to his fury. Hiltilios began to squeeze the black sphere to free himself, the energy buckling under his strenght.

"Cyborg! Beast Boy!" Robin shouted, "Now!" And with a great grinding crash, a huge building, very much in disrepair began to collapse, falling right on top of the dragon's head. With a boom that surely could have been heard all the way across the City, the mass of concrete and steel struck the beast, and buried it.

The second diversion had worked once again, Robin and Starfire drawing its attention, while Raven halted its attack, and hindered its visibility. Then Cyborg, combined with the giant strength of Beast Boy's dinosaur transformation, had knocked off a huge portion of the building. A clever plan, but it was costly.

The only significant damage of the breath of Hiltilios had sliced off one of Cyborg's arms, but fortunately it was easily fixable. Robin's costume was in shreds, his cape, though reinforced was still sliced. Starfire and Beast Boy had escaped with only a few minor cuts. Raven had a deep gash high across her leg, as well as several smaller ones, and her cloak looked as if it had picked a fight with a cheese grater. All in all however, they seemed to weather the battle quite well. That was…if it was over.

Silence fell with a heavy blow once the Titan's regrouped, looking over to see if their enemy would rise again. They all certainly hoped not. They may have won, but it was a hard fought victory, _very_ hard fought and they were likely to be sore tomorrow. Which was almost upon them. They had been fighting Hiltilios for quite a while in fact; the sun began to dip into the nearby bay. The Titan's sincerely hoped that this wasn't going to turn into a night battle. They waited…

From out of the pile of rubble, drifting about like slight tendrils came trails of black vapor, that began creeping out every which way, evaporating after a few moments with the touch of the wind. Then…silence.

The Titan's waited; to see if it was over. Beast Boy took a few large creeping steps over, squinting at the pile.

"Is it dead?"

"No, not dead…Merely defeated. I wouldn't be so haphazard in tossing aside so a powerful resource in such a small time battle." The Titan's all turned, and once again Raze had rematerialized on the battlefield, advancing their way, clapping his hands with a pleased grin.

"Congratulations Titan's. It seems that you _were_ strong enough after all. And it would seem you have passed the final test that I laid before you. I must say, I'm very impressed and somewhat surprised as well. I was thinking that at least…oh I'd say maybe two of you would be killed in the battle, but I suppose you all were just set on _not_ suffering any casualties."

He looked them over, tattered and weary. "I did warn you, didn't I?" he inquired lightly, "This was to be tougher than anything you've ever done, at least in terms of physical combat. Not to mention you had to outsmart you opponent. Very impressive. A well-earned victory indeed."

"You also said this was the last one," Robin growled at him, his eyes narrowing to slits behind his mask. "Was that a lie, or did you mean it?"

"You think I wouldn't keep my word? Honestly, I don't get any respect these days. Yes my little friends, I _did_ say that this was to be your final test. And as luck would have it, I meant it."

"If you do really mean it," Cyborg told him, still holding his severed arm, "Then do us a favor and get out of here. I've had it up to here with you." And to demonstrate, he held up his arm, which was holding his arm, which was rather high.

"In good time, in good time. But before I vanish in a puff of smoke, I'd like to leave you five with a small piece of information and a warning as well. I am hoping that you will put past misgivings aside and listen carefully." Raze paused, glancing among them one more time. They were listening, but he could sense their impatience for him to leave. That made him grin.

"This test had a single definite purpose. And no, it was not to see how sadistic I can be. To pit you five against a large extraordinarily strong foe, in a life or death situation, _that_ was its aim. You have come out on top, but never forget, that there are more evil forces out there, greater than that dragon."

"What are you saying?" Robin pressed; finding these enigmatic threats irritating.

"What I mean is, your battle with me is now over. But your battles with other immensely powerful foes…well, those are not. My advice to you five is to remain vigilant, and to remember everything that you experienced with me. Though you don't like me, despise me perhaps, always bear in mind that your time exposed to my flagitious antics has increased your awareness of your surroundings, strengthened your bonds, and made you more determined than ever. Think upon that…" With that, he replaced his sunglasses, turned and began to stroll off, down the dilapidated road. The Titan's watched him go.

"That's it?" Cyborg called after him; "You're just walkin' away? I thought you'd blow up, or fly off or something weird!" Raze paused, turning a curious look back.

"What?" he asked with a playful smile, "Can't a guy swagger off into a brilliant sunset anymore? It may be cliché but it's a classic! I guess kids these days have no appreciation for the timeless stuff. A shame, but what can one do? Oh well. See you around Titan's…"

The Titan's were skeptical about letting him go, as according to him, they'd never see him again. Yet they knew better than to try and stop him. They couldn't beat him when they were fresh, let alone when they were already thrashed. So, they did nothing more than watch their greatest foe leave, walking off into the proverbial sunset.


End file.
